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University at Buffalo
3-17, 2-6MAC
Northern Illinois
11-9, 7-1MAC
Bulls Drop Five-Set Thriller To Northern Illinois
10/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York volleyball team took one of the MAC's top teams into five sets on Saturday night, but the Bulls ultimately fell to Northern Illinois, 3-2.
The Huskies took the contest 25-21, 23-25, 27-25, 18-25, 15-8 despite being outhit by the Bulls, .188 to .168. The two teams combined for 202 digs in the five-set affair that saw 26 total ties and 11 total lead changes.
After NIU took the opening set, the Bulls came back in the second and got out to an early 11-7 lead following a service ace from sophomore Niki Bozinoski. The Huskies tied the set up at 14-14, but three straight points put the Bulls back up. A kill from senior Megan Lipski gave the Bulls a 22-16 lead, but NIU fought back and fought off three set points before a Lipski kill tied the match up at 1-1.
The third set was another tight one despite NIU scoring the first three points. The Bulls went on to take a 13-11 lead in the set, but NIU went on an 8-2 run to go up 19-15. However, the Bulls would score the next four points to tie up the set, the last one coming on a kill from freshman setter Madison Clark. The Huskies went back up 23-19, but UB scored five straight points to take a 24-23 lead, but NIU fought off the UB set point. The Bulls fought off one NIU set point to tie the match at 25-25, but two straight Huskie points gave them the 2-1 lead in the contest.
The Bulls opened up at 12-7 lead in the fourth set following a kill from freshman Megan Wernette and continued to lead 18-13 when the Huskies would pull within 18-15. Another kill by Wernette gave the Bulls a 22-16 lead and an NIU attack error would end the set and tie the match up for the Bulls.
UB headed into a fifth set for the first time at home and in conference play this season, but the Huskies led pretty much throughout the final set. The Huskies opened a 5-1 lead and the Bulls were able to pull no closer than 9-6. After four straight NIU points, the Bulls found themselves down 13-6 and UB ultimately fell in the final set, 15-8.
Lipski led the Bulls with 18 kills, while adding 20 digs, her second straight 20-dig performance. Wernette finished with a career-high 16 kills, while recording just one error on 24 total attacks. For the night, the freshman hit .625. Senior Akeila Lain added 12 kills and sophomore Cassie Shado added nine.
Clark surpassed the career high she set last night with 53 assists, while adding 10 digs, three kills and a solo block.
Defensively, the Bulls finished with 93 digs, surpassing the season-high total of 78 that they finished with last night. In addition to Lipski's 20, sophomore Tessa Ooyama had 19 digs, while Bozinoski and freshman Abby Beecher each added 16. That total was a new career high for Beecher.
NIU had two players finish with over 20 kills led by Lauren Zielinski who had 27 kills and just one error on 51 swings. T'ara Austin has 21 kills, but added 15 errors on 73 swings. Alexis Gonzalez finished with 63 assists for the Huskies.
With UB's four-match home stand now in the books, the Bulls will return to the road next weekend, beginning on Friday at Eastern Michigan.
