Bulls Buck Broncos In Five-Set Thriller

Friday, November 5

Buffalo, NY

6:00 pm

University at Buffalo

12-14,5-9MAC

Western Michigan

15-10,8-6MAC

Western Mich.

Buffalo

Bulls Buck Broncos In Five-Set Thriller

11/5/2021 9:40:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo volleyball team stormed back from a two-set deficit on Friday night as the Bulls won a 3-2 thriller against Western Michigan in front of the home crowd at Alumni Arena. The victory improves Buffalo to 12-14 on the year and 5-9 in league play.

The Bulls took the contest 19-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-23, 15-10 as UB outhit the Broncos, .295 to .271. Over the first two sets UB hit just .152, but following the intermission Buffalo hit .425 over the final three sets, never hitting lower than .391.

Trailing 2-0, the Bulls got out to the quick start in the third set as UB scored the first six points, including a pair of kills from freshman setter Mandy Leigh. Buffalo extended its lead to 18-11, but Western Michigan made a run, scoring seven of the next eight points to pull within one. However, the Bulls never relinquished the lead as a kill from freshman Maria Futey clinched the set and kept the match alive.

The Bulls trailed for much of the fourth set, but it was close through out as neither team ever led by more than three points in the fourth. The Broncos had a 23-21 lead, but Buffalo wasn't ready to call it a night yet as UB scored the final four points of the set as a kill from Emma Gielas gave UB the 25-23 victory, sending the match to a fifth and deciding set.

Tied at 6-6 early in the fifth set, the Bulls scored the next four points, including an ace from Futey as Buffalo took a big 10-6 lead in the race to 15 points. UB extended the advantage to 13-7 following back-to-back blocks from Leigh, the first a joint effort with Stacia Gollogly. The Broncos fought off one match point trailing 14-9, but a WMU error clinched the match, sending the Bulls to victory.

"We were executing our game plan pretty well early but weren't getting the blocks and touches that we wanted, so we focused on that and stuck to our plan, and we started making some plays," said head coach Scott Smith.

Gielas led the Bulls with 15 kills, while sophomore Milla Malik had 14 kills and just one error as she hit .310 for the match. Futey chipped in 12 kills.

Okwara finished with nine kills as she hit .467, while Gollogly added eight kills and just one error. Leigh had four kills to go along with 48 assists.

The Bulls finished with six aces, led by two a piece from Malik and Leigh.

Defensively, junior libero Jenna Sonnenberg had a match high 23 digs, while Malik added 16 and Leigh had 14. Futey finished with 10 digs.

Buffalo held a huge advantage in blocking as they out blocked WMU, 12.0-4.0. Gollogly had a match-high seven blocks, including two solos. Okwara had four blocks with a pair of solos and Leigh and Gielas each finished with four blocks.

The Bulls will close out the home portion of their schedule tomorrow with one more against Western Michigan. The match is set for 4pm and following the contest the Bulls will honor seniors Paige Beck, Kyndal Bacon, and Monika Simkova.