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University at Buffalo
12-4, 2-0MAC
Miami (OH)
8-6, 1-1MAC
Volleyball Powers to 2-0 Start in MAC Play Shutting Down Miami (OH), 3-0
9/27/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo got off to its finest Mid-American Conference start in program history defeating visiting Miami (OH) Saturday night, 3-0. Winning its fifth straight match, UB improved to 12-4 on the season and 2-0 in conference play, while the RedHawks dropped to 8-6 overall, 1-1 in the MAC.
The Bulls blanked Miami 25-18, 26-24, 25-20 with their third straight 3-0 sweep and eighth of the season. After pulling away late to claim the first set, Buffalo battled from a 20-15 deficit to take the second stint in extras, and cruised to victory in the final frame.
"I'm proud of the way our team never gave up," said head coach Reed Sunahara. "They were always pushing and fighting and I liked that. The fact that we never gave up gave us a chance."
Holding the Red Haws to a hitting percentage of just .107, UB registered 24 blocks – its third 20-plus block match of 2014. Junior Akeila Lain matched a career-best performance at the net, totaling 10 blocks (1 solo, 9 assists), while classmate Marissa Prinzbach added six. Junior Tahleia Bishop posted 18 kills for the second time in as many matches and junior Amber Hatchett added seven on just 17 swings. Prinzbach set for 27 assists and Bishop and freshman Niki Bozinoski dug the ball 14 and 13 times, respectively.
Miami got off to a solid start, taking a 4-0 lead in the first. They maintained their four-point lead, 8-4, until UB pieced together a 5-1 run knotting the match for the first time at 9-9. The Bulls snapped a 13-13 deadlock to pull ahead, 19-14, en route to a 25-18 victory.
The second set was tight early, though the RedHawks looked to tie the match at 1-1 powering ahead 22-15 with a 9-3 run. Following a UB timeout, Lain paired with rookie Skyler Day and Prinzbach to post two blocks and sneak within three on a Miami setting error. A Bishop kill and a Miami attack error brought the game to 22-20, but the RedHawks made good on an attack for another three-point gap. A Lain kill and a pair from Bishop made it a 23-23 stalemate. Miami earned set point with a UB attack error, but followed with a service error of its own. A Prinzbach ace and a Hatchett kill guaranteed the Bulls a 2-0 lead.
The RedHawks got off to a 5-2 start in the third, but the Bulls would tie the set at 6-6, the first of six ties. Buffalo rewrote the final tie, 18-18, with five straight highlighted by back-to-back aces by junior Megan Lipski. The Bulls went on to win, 25-20.
Olivia Rusek led Miami with 11 kills and Jenny Ingle chipped in eight. Meg Riley set for 17 assists, while Krista Brakauskas added 14. Defensively, Maeve McDonald dug out 14 balls.
UB will return to action on Friday when it travels to Ohio for a 7:00 pm MAC contest.
