Bulls Complete Five-Set Comeback To Defeat Canisius

Saturday, September 21

Buffalo, NY

12:30 pm

4-8

Canisius

3-7

Canisius

Buffalo

Bulls Complete Five-Set Comeback To Defeat Canisius

9/21/2019 5:33:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo volleyball team used a little five-set magic on Saturday afternoon as the Bulls came back to defeat Canisius, 3-2, in the final match of the Blue and White Classic.

Buffalo took the contest 24-26, 18-25, 25-19, 25-20, 15-11 as UB narrowly outhit Canisius, .285 to .282. The first set was a tight one that saw the Bulls take a 19-16 lead following a kill from freshman Abby Leigh. UB continued to lead 22-19 when Canisius went on a 4-1 run to tie it up at 23-23. Buffalo went back ahead 24-23, but Canisius fought off the set point and scored three straight to take it.

The Griffs then took a 2-0 lead in the match following a 25-18 victory, but the Bulls were up for the challenge as they tried to force a fifth set. Canisius led 16-13 in the third when the Bulls went on a 4-0 run capped off on a kill from senior setter Scout McLerran, giving Buffalo the 17-16 lead. UB opened up a 22-18 advantage following a block from Lexi Nordmann and Rachel Sanks and back to back kills from Sanks clinched the set.

In the fourth set, Buffalo held on to a 13-12 lead when the Bulls went on a 7-2 run as a kill from senior Kristina Nieves opened a 20-14 lead. Buffalo clinched the set 25-20 following a kill from Polina Prokudina to force a fifth set. It was the second straight five-set match for UB and its fifth of the year.

The Bulls had some serious work cut out for them in the fifth as Canisius scored the first six points and held on to a 7-1 lead before UB began to make a run. Buffalo rattled off five straight points as a block from Prokudina and Nieves pulled the Bulls within one. Tied at 9-9, Buffalo scored two straight to go ahead. Canisius would pull back within one at 12-11, but it would be their final point of the afternoon as UB scored the final three, two of those coming from Sanks, including the match winner.

"I wish we didn't always have to make things so interesting, but I was really proud of the way we competed and came back in that match today," said head coach Scott Smith. "I thought we passed the ball really well and our energy was much better in the later sets this afternoon."

Buffalo had four players in double figures in kills led by 18 from Sanks. Prokudina had 15 with 11 of those coming over the final three sets. Leigh and Nieves also finished with 11 each, as Nieves hit .474. Nordmann added seven kills.

McLerran had 48 assists, while she was one of five players with two aces in the match. Sanks, Nordmann, Monika Simkova, and libero Paige Beck each also finished with a pair of aces.

Defensively, Beck led the Bulls with 20 digs as she was named to the All-Tournament team after match, joining Nieves, who also earned All-Tournament honors.

McLerran had 11 digs, while Emma Puzausky, Hannah Watson, and Sanks each had seven. UB finished with 8.0 blocks, led by five from Nieves and three a piece from Nordmann and Sanks.

The Bulls will now open MAC play with a pair of home matches beginning on Thursday night when Buffalo hosts Akron at 6pm.