5-17, 4-6MAC
Central Michigan
10-13, 5-5MAC
Bulls Complete Perfect Weekend At Central Michigan
10/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
MT. PLEASANT, MI – For the first time since joining the Mid-American Conference in 1998, the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York volleyball team swept a road conference weekend as the Bulls won their second straight five-set match on Saturday night at Central Michigan. The Bulls are now 4-6 in in conference play.
UB took the match, 20-25, 25-22, 30-28, 18-25, 15-13 despite being outhit, .154 to .122. The Bulls got into a quick hole with a 25-20 loss in the opening set, but answered back in the second.
Tied 10-10 in the second set, the Bulls went on a quick 4-1 run to take a 14-11 lead in the set. A block by freshmen Valisha Watkins and Megan Wernette extended the lead to 19-14, but CMU went on a 7-1 to take a 21-20 lead in the set. However, the Bulls regained the lead with three straight points, and a double block by Cassie Shado and Akeila Lain, clinched the set and tied the match up at 1-1.
The third set didn't start out well for UB as the Chippewas scored the first six points of the set, however, UB went on a 13-3 run, which was capped off on a kill from Watkins to give the Bulls a 13-9 lead and force CMU to call a timeout. The Bulls took a 23-21 lead in the set, but CMU tied it up. Each time the Bulls took the lead, the Chippewas would answer and CMU fought off the first three set points, which all were UB's. Then the Bulls had to fight off two CMU set points, ultimately tying the set back up at 28-28. The Bulls got a late contribution from two freshmen as Madison Clark recorded a kill and then Abby Beecher ended the set with a service ace.
CMU stayed alive in the match with a 25-18 victory in set four, sending the Bulls to their third straight five-set match of the season. The Bulls opened up a 6-3 lead in the fifth set, but Central Michigan came back and took an 8-7 lead at the change. UB answered with five straight points to take a 13-9 lead, but the Chippewas scored the next four points to tie the set up at 13-13. A kill from senior Megan Lipski gave the Bulls match point, and UB clinched the match with a block by Shado and Lain.
"I am proud of this team for the fight that they have shown all weekend, and sweeping what is a very tough trip," said head coach Blair Brown Lipsitz. "I am not sure that this is a match we win earlier this year and that shows the growth and maturity of this group."
Shado led the Bulls with 15 kills and just four errors as she hit .393 on the evening. Lipski added 14 kills, while Watkins had 11 and Lain added 10. Clark finished with 47 assists, 10 digs, three blocks and an ace as she started at setter for the Bulls.
Clark was one of three Bulls with a double-double on the evening as Lipski added 10 digs to her total and Shado led all players with a career-high 13 blocks, leading the Bulls, who had 18.0 total blocks on the evening. Sophomore Tessa Ooyama had a match-high 22 digs.
The Bulls remain on the road this upcoming Thursday night when they head to Akron.
