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University at Buffalo
2-12, 1-1MAC
Toledo
3-12, 0-2MAC
Bulls Ground Rockets For First MAC Win
9/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York volleyball team put forth one of its best defensive efforts of the season on Saturday evening as the Bulls overcame a first-set loss to defeat Toledo, 3-1, at Alumni Arena. With the win, the Bulls have evened their conference record to 1-1.
The Bulls took the contest, 20-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-14 as UB outhit Toledo, .166 to .085. The hitting mark by the Rockets was the lowest allowed by the Bulls in a match this season. Offensively, the Bulls were able to split the production as five players finished in double figures in kills.
In the first set, the Rockets overcame a 13-8 deficit as they defeated UB, 25-20. However, the Bulls came back in the second set and overcame a 15-13 deficit midway through the set. Out of a UB timeout, the Bulls scored six straight points, including a pair of kills from freshman Megan Wernette. The Rockets pulled within 21-17, but UB ended the set on a 4-2 run as freshman Valisha Watkins recorded a kill for the final point, giving the Bulls a 25-19 victory.
Unlike Thursday evening, UB was able to ride the momentum from the second set win into the second half of the match. The third set was the closest between the two teams as the squads were tied at 15-15 midway through the set, but a 6-2 run put the Bulls ahead 21-17. The Rockets were able to fight back and tied the set at 23-23, but back-to-back kills from senior Megan Lipski clinched the set.
The fourth set was by far the most dominant for the Bulls as they led wire-to-wire. A kill from senior Akeila Lain capped off an 8-3 run to begin the set and UB never looked back. Toledo would pull within 15-11, but back-to-back kills from Wernette began a 10-3 run, which ended the match. The final point coming on a solo block from senior setter Marissa Prinzbach.
"Just a great team victory tonight," said head coach Blair Brown Lipsitz. "We talked a lot about defense after Thursday and our entire team listened and followed the game plan that we had."
Wernette led the Bulls with a career-high 12 kills, recording just one error as she hit .478 for the match. Sophomore Cassie Shado added 11 kills, while the trio of Watkins, Lipski and Lain all added 10. That group of five was also active on the block as Shado finished with seven total blocks and Wernette had six.
Prinzbach added four blocks of her own as well as finishing with 47 assists and seven digs.
Defensively, sophomore Tessa Ooyama finished with a career-best 23 digs, while Lipski completed the double-double with 14 digs. Freshman Abby Beecher added a career-high nine digs and her first collegiate kill. Sophomore Nikki Bozinoski finished with seven digs.
UB also recorded a pair of service aces, including one from junior Megan Lin, who added a pair of digs.
The Bulls will take their 1-1 conference mark on the road next weekend as they travel to Miami (OH) on Friday evening at 7:00 pm.
