Bulls Put A Stamp On Senior Night With Five Set Win Over Miami

Saturday, November 9

Buffalo, NY

6 pm

University at Buffalo

11-15,7-7MAC

Miami (OH)

16-9,11-3MAC

Miami (OH)

Buffalo

Bulls Put A Stamp On Senior Night With Five Set Win Over Miami

11/9/2019 9:42:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo volleyball team capped off its most impressive weekend of the season as the Bulls defeated MAC East Leading Miami (OH), 3-2, on Senior Night inside Alumni Arena. The victory improves UB to 11-15 on the season and 7-7 in league play.

The win over the RedHawks was Buffalo's first since 2014 and it snapped Miami's nine-match winning streak.

The Bulls took the contest 25-22, 18-25, 23-25, 25-18, 15-9 despite being narrowly outhit. However, it was UB's ability to make the first pass that attributed to the victory as Buffalo had just one service error in 93 total chances.

UB's five-member senior class of Rachel Sanks, Hannah Watson, Kristina Nieves, Scout McLerran, and Polina Prokudina were not going to be denied on Saturday evening as Sanks finished with a career best 24 kills in the match.

Buffalo raced out to a 12-3 lead in the opening set on a kill from junior Lexi Nordmann. Miami would cut the UB lead to 18-14 before the Bulls scored three straight as a service ace from freshman Abby Leigh put the Bulls ahead 21-14. The RedHawks got as close as two before a kill from Sanks clinched the opening set for UB.

Miami won the second set 25-18 to tie the match up at 1-1 as the teams played an extremely tight third set. The RedHawks led by as many as three late in the set, but a kill from Sanks and a block from Sanks and Leigh pulled the Bulls within one late. However, the RedHawks would take the third set and a 2-1 lead in the match.

The two teams were tied at 11-11 in the fourth set when the Bulls scored four straight points, including back-to-back kill from Prokudina to take a 15-11 lead. Miami cut it back to two, but then UB regained a 19-15 advantage on a kill from Sanks. Buffalo extended the advantage to 23-16 and a kill from Monika Simkova clinched the set, 25-18.

The Bulls went to the fifth set for the 13^th time this year and Buffalo led it wire-to-wire. UB scored the first two points and opened up a 5-1 lead on a block from Simkova and Nordmann, forcing Miami into the early timeout.

Miami would pull as close as 7-6 before the Bulls scored three in a row to extend the advantage to 10-6. With Buffalo leading 12-9, UB closed things out as the Bulls got kills from Sanks and Simkova to setup match point. Freshman Jenna Sonnenberg closed it out with one of her career-best four service aces, sending the Bulls to victory.

"I am really happy for this senior class and they willed us to a victory tonight," said head coach Scott Smith. "We just kept feeding Rachel the ball and she was not to be denied. The crowd was amazing this evening and I am so glad that we could send them home with a win!"

Sanks finished with 24 kills, one of four players in double figures in kills. Prokudina added 14 kills and Simkova finished with 13. Nordmann added 11, while Leigh and McLerran each had three.

McLerran dished out 56 assists and had three aces. As a team, UB had eight aces, led by Sonnenberg's four. Leigh chipped in with one.

Defensively, four UB players finished in double figures in digs led by 16 from sophomore Paige Beck. Prokudina had 11, while McLerran and Sonnenberg each finished with 10. Watson and Simkova both added seven.

The Bulls had 7.0 blocks on the evening led by five from Leigh.

UB will close out the regular season when they travel to Ohio on Friday night and Kent State on Saturday evening.