Bulls Split Opening Day Of Blue And White Classic

Friday, September 20

Buffalo, NY

12:30 pm

3-7

St. Francis (Pa.)

0-9

Saint Francis (PA)

Buffalo

Bulls Split Opening Day Of Blue And White Classic

9/20/2019 9:18:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo volleyball team split its two matches on Friday during the first day of the Blue and White Classic. The Bulls swept St. Francis (PA) in the morning match before falling to Cornell 3-2 in the final match of the evening.

The Bulls dominated St. Francis (PA) in the opening match on Friday as UB hit a season-high .443 in the contest. UB took the match, 25-17, 25-14, 25-15. It was a balanced attack that saw four players with nine kills or better.
In the opening set, junior Lexi Nordmann led a Buffalo blocking attack that finished with 4.0 block, led by her four block assists. The Red Flash pulled within 13-9 when the Bulls scored two straight, capped off on a block from Nordmann and redshirt sophomore Monika Simkova. UB extended its lead to 21-13 following a kill from senior Kristina Nieves and UB clinched the set on a block from Nordmann and senior Polina Prokudina.

Buffalo hit .625 in the second set as the Bulls had just one hitting error as a team. Leading 11-8, the Bulls rattled off five straight points, capped off on a block from freshman Abby Leigh, which put UB ahead 16-8. An ace from Nordmann gave UB the second set, 25-14.

The third set would be the closest of the three as St. Francis (PA) held on to a 12-11 lead midway through. However, the Bulls answered in a big way, closing the match out on a 14-3 run, including six straight points to ignite the run. UB got a pair of kills from Leigh and senior setter Scout McLerran during that time. A Red Flash attack error ended the set and the match.

Simkova led UB with 10 kills and just two errors as she hit .364 for the contest. Leigh finished with nine kills and a pair of aces, while Nieves and fellow senior Rachel Sanks also recorded nine kills each. Nieves was extremely efficient hitting .818 for the match as she had no errors on 11 swings.

McLerran finished with four kills and 18 assists, while freshman Emma Puzausky added 15 assists.

Defensively, sophomore Paige Beck led all players with 12 digs, while McLerran added nine. UB finished with 8.0 blocks as a unit, as Nordmann had six and Leigh finished with three.

The evening contest was a tight one between the Bulls and Cornell as the two teams went the distance. The Big Red came out victorious 22-25, 25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 15-9. A service ace from Simkova opened a 15-11 lead in the first set before Cornell tied it back up at 17-17. The Bulls responded with a 4-0 run as a kill from Nordmann put UB ahead, 21-17. A kill from Simkova clinched the set in the favor of Buffalo, 25-22.

The Bulls tried to overcome a 9-2 deficit in the second set as they pulled within 23-20, but Cornell took recorded the final two points to tie the match up. The third set was also close as the score was tied at 20-20 before Cornell scored the final five points to take the 2-1 lead.

UB kept the match alive in the fourth, fighting off an early 12-8 deficit. With Buffalo trailing 17-16, UB scored three straight points to pull ahead 19-17. A Cornell hitting error extended the UB lead to 23-20, but Cornell would pull within one late, 24-23. However, a kill from Nieves clinched the set and sent the match a fifth set.

Cornell hit .529 in the fifth set as the Big Red led throughout, beginning with an 8-3 run. The Bulls were able to pull within 10-6, but three straight Cornell points opened the lead back to 13-6. The Big Red went on to take the set, 15-9, to clinch the match.

Sanks led the Bulls with 15 kills, while Simkova had nine and Prokudina added eight, as did Leigh. UB has seven aces, including two each from Sanks, Simkova and Beck.

Defensively, Beck recorded a new career high with 25 digs to lead all players. UB had 11.0 blocks, led by six from Nordmann, including three solos. Nieves finished with four blocks and Simkova added three.

Cornell finished the day a perfect 2-0 as it defeated Canisius in the first match of the day. Like the Bulls, the Griffs went 1-1 on the opening day as Canisius defeated St. Francis (PA).

The Bulls will close out play at the Blue and White Classic tomorrow when they host Canisius at 12:30 pm. Cornell and St. Francis (PA) will play in the first match at 10:30 am.