Bulls Put Forth Best Effort Of The Year At Ohio

Thursday, February 11

Athens, OH

6:30 pm

University at Buffalo

0-7,0-7MAC

Ohio

3-2,3-2MAC

Buffalo

Ohio

Bulls Put Forth Best Effort Of The Year At Ohio

2/11/2021 10:32:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

ATHENS, OH – With a complete roster available to them for the first time this season, the University at Buffalo volleyball team responded with their best effort of the year, but ultimately UB fell on the road to Ohio, 3-0.

Starting for Buffalo tonight was senior middle blocker Lexi Nordmann who played for the first time since the opening weekend and freshman outside hitter Milla Malik, who made her UB debut after missing the first six matches of the year.

Ohio took the contest 25-15, 25-21, 25-23 as the Bobcats had to come back in both the second and the third sets as the Bulls held big leads in both.

Ohio led through out in the first set, but beginning in the second set, the Bulls looked like a different team. UB held a 15-12 lead midway through the second and following a pair of blocks from the Bulls and kills from Courtney Okwara and Malik, the Bobcats called timeout trailing, 20-18. However, out of the timeout, Ohio ended the set on a 7-1 run to take the set, 25-21.

Buffalo opened the third set on an 8-1 run, including kills from four different players. A kill by Nordmann sent the Bulls into the media timeout in the third set with a 15-10 lead. A kill by freshman Emma Gielas and an ace from Abby Leigh gave the Bulls a 17-11 lead and UB continued to hold a big advantage, but the host Bobcats fought back.

Ohio would eventually tie the third set up at 20-20 and the Bobcats went ahead 24-21 as UB fought off a pair of match points on kills from Malik and Monika Simkova, but Ohio took the set 25-23 and the match, 3-0.

Malik led the way with eight kills in her collegiate debut, chipping in four digs. Nordman had seven kills and no errors as she hit .500 Both Okwara and Simkova each finished with six kills.

Defensively, Abby Leigh had nine digs, while sophomore Jenna Sonnenberg and junior Kyndal Bacon each finished with eight. Bacon also had 15 assists, while sophomore Emma Puzausky finished with 13 assists and six digs.

The Bulls and Bobcats conclude their two-match series tomorrow at 2pm. The match will air on ESPN+.