Bulls Down Toledo In Five Sets For First MAC Win

Saturday, September 28

Buffalo, NY

6 pm

4-9

Toledo

7-6

Toledo

Buffalo

Bulls Down Toledo In Five Sets For First MAC Win

9/28/2019 9:03:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

BUFFALO, NY – It was another night and another five-set match for the University at Buffalo volleyball team. Playing in their fourth straight five-setter, the Bulls picked up their first conference win with a 3-2 victory over Toledo.

The Bulls took the contest 16-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-23, 15-12 despite being outhit by the Rockets in the contest. After Toledo took the opening set, the Bulls raced out to an early 8-3 lead, capped off on back-to-back aces from Lexi Nordmann. However, six straight Toledo points would put the Rockets briefly ahead before UB regained the 17-13 lead on a kill from Rachel Sanks. An ace from Sanks extended the lead to 23-16 and a Toledo service error clinched the set for the Bulls, 25-20.

The third set saw 17 ties and seven lead changes before Toledo would pull away late for the 25-23 victory. The Bulls found themselves trailing 15-10 in the fourth set and UB continued to trail 17-13 when the Bulls scored five straight points to go ahead. Toledo would go back on top 23-20, but those would be the Rockets' final points of the night. UB scored the final five, the last two coming on a block from Nordmann and Monika Simkova followed by a Scout McLerran service ace.

The Bulls took the early advantage in the fifth set as a kill from Polina Prokudina gave Buffalo the 7-2 lead. Toledo would come all the way back to tie it at 10, but the Bulls had another run in them. Tied at 11-11, Buffalo rattled off three straight to take a 14-11 lead. A kill by Sanks would clinch the set and the match.

"I thought we responded well tonight after the result from Thursday," said head coach Scott Smith, who picked up his first career MAC victory. "I thought our energy was better and we were way better from the service line tonight."

Prokudina led all players with 18 kills, while Sanks added 11 and Nordmann and senior Kristina Nieves each finished with nine. McLerran paced the Buffalo offense with 46 assists.

As a team, UB registered 11 aces led by three from Sanks and two each from Nordmann and Prokudina. In all, seven players had at least one ace.

Defensively, sophomore Paige Beck recorded a new career high 29 digs against her hometown Toledo Rockets. The Bulls finished with 8.0 blocks, led by four from Nordmann.

With Buffalo's five-match home stand now complete, the Bulls will hit the road for their first MAC road matches, traveling to Miami (OH) on Friday night.