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University at Buffalo
16-8, 4-7MAC
Kent State
11-13, 5-6MAC
UB Comeback Falls Short At Kent State
11/1/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
KENT, OH – The University at Buffalo volleyball team nearly overcame a two-set deficit on Friday night, but was unable to make the full comeback, falling at Kent State, 3-2. The loss was UB's fourth straight.
The Golden Flashes took the contest, 25-22, 26-24, 14-25, 17-25, 15-11 despite the Bulls hitting .314 for the match. That hitting total was UB's highest in a single match in conference play this year. UB was close in the opening set, but it will be the second set that the Bulls will look back on in this match.
The Bulls took a 14-11 lead in the second set, but the Golden Flashes came back to take a 23-21 lead in the set. However, two kills from sophomore Tahleia Bishop and a UB block gave the Bulls a 24-23 lead, but Kent State fought off the first set point on its way to scoring the final three points of the second set and taking the 2-0 lead.
UB came out as an entirely different team following the intermission, dominating the third set, racing out to a 20-12 lead. The Bulls led by as many as 10 in the set at 24-14 and a Bishop kill pulled UB within 2-1 in the match. The Bulls went on to tie the match up, making a late run in the fourth set. With the Bulls leading just 18-17, UB scored the final seven points of the set to send the match to the fifth.
However, the fifth set belonged to the Golden Flashes, who opened the set on a 5-1 run and never trailed. The Bulls were able to pull within two on a few different occasions late in the fifth set, but Kent State went on to win 15-11.
Bishop was dominant all night as she recorded a new career high with 22 kills. She had just four errors on 45 total swings as she hit .400 for the match. Senior Dana Musil added 18 kills and 16 digs, while sophomore Akeila Lain finished with eight. Senior Dani Reinert ran the offense with 37 assists, while junior Taylor Pritchett added 24.
Defensively, senior Kelly Svoboda finished with a match-high 28 digs, more than half of Kent State's total for the match. Musil added 16 and freshman Siena Wilder finished with seven. The Bulls had 13.0 total blocks, led by nine from senior Carissa McKenna. Musil added five blocks and Bishop and senior Christine Fritsche each had three.
The Bulls continue their five-match road trip tomorrow night at Ohio.
