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13-2, 1-1MAC
Kent State
7-7, 1-1MAC
Bulls Come Back To Down Kent State, 3-1
9/28/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo volleyball team overcame a first set defeat as it picked up its first Mid-American Conference victory with a 3-1 victory over the Kent State Golden Flashes. It was an extremely competitive match that saw 50 ties and 14 lead changes as the Bulls improve to 13-2 on the year and even their MAC mark at 1-1.
The Bulls took the contest, 20-25, 25-23, 28-26, 25-20 as they hit .276 on the night. The Golden Flashes got out to the early lead as they went on a 6-1 run in the middle of the set. UB was able to pull within three of three different occasions, but Kent State took the set, 25-20.
The second set was tight through out as there were 17 ties in the set. With UB up 9-7, both teams traded back and forth points and neither team took more than a one-point lead until UB went up 17-15. The two teams continued to answer each other's points and the set remained tied at 23-23 when kills from sophomores Tahleia Bishop and Amber Hatchett ended the set.
Like last night, the third set proved to be the pivotal one of the evening and like the second, it was a gritty battle between two teams looking for a win. Kent State took a 15-12 lead in the third, but the Bulls went on a quick 5-2 run to tie it up at 17-17. The Golden Flashes again went ahead 22-20, but two straight points from the Bulls tied the set up again. The Bulls went ahead 24-23, but Kent State managed to fight off three straight set points and things were tied 26-26 when back-to-back kills from junior Liz Scott gave the Bulls the set, 28-26.
Kent State again took a late lead in the fourth set as they led 18-16, but the Bulls ended the set on a 9-2 run with the final point coming on a kill from Christine Fritsche. The Bulls used two big blocks in the run to help them to the victory.
"We fought very hard against a good Kent State team and came out with a great team win," said head coach Todd Kress. "Our veteran leadership out on the court really showed tonight and it was great to come back after a tough loss last night."
Bishop finished with 18 kills and just three errors as she hit .349 for the match, while Scott added 16 kills and four errors as she hit .364 on 33 attempts. Fritsche added 12 kills, while Akeila Lain had seven and Hatchett finished with six. Both senior Dani Reinert and junior Taylor Pritchett led the offense with 34 and 25 assists, respectively.
Svoboda finished the match with a career-high 32 digs, while Bishop added nine and Pritchett had eight. The Bulls, who lead the nation in blocks per set, added another 12.0 this evening, led by five from Hatchett who had three solos. Senior Carissa McKenna also had five blocks and Fritsche and Lain each added three.
Kent State (7-7, 1-1 MAC) finished with four players in double figures in kills, while Aleksandra Nowak had 56 assists and Hannah Herc added 29 digs.
UB will close out a six-match homestand on Thursday night when it hosts Akron at 7:00 pm.
