Bulls Zip Past Akron, 3-0

Tuesday, March 16

Buffalo, NY

6:00 pm

3-14,3-14MAC

Akron

4-13,4-13MAC

Akron

Buffalo

3/16/2021 8:19:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo volleyball team picked up its second straight 3-0 sweep on Tuesday night as the Bulls defeated the Akron Zips in straight sets. It was the first time since the 2018 season that Buffalo has won consecutive matches by 3-0 scores.

The Bulls took the contest 25-20, 25-17, 25-23 as Buffalo outhit Akron, .340 to .277. The .340 hitting mark was UB's second highest of the season. Buffalo trailed 8-7 early in the first set when the Bulls scored the next five points, three of those coming on blocks at the net. Leading 17-16, the Bulls scored another five straight, opening its advantage to 21-16. Akron would pull within 22-20, but the Bulls scored the final three points of the set, capped off on a service ace from Monika Simkova.

UB opened the second set on fire, scoring eight of the first 10 points as a kill from freshman Milla Malik, put the Bulls ahead, 8-2. The Zips would pull back within two at 14-12, and remained within striking distance late at 20-17, but Simkova closed things out at the service line. She had two straight aces, and then a kill from Lexi Nordmann and Malik clinched the set, giving Buffalo the 2-0 advantage.

Akron came out in the third set and staked itself to a 13-12 lead. The Zips continued to lead at 20-18 when the Bulls made their move. A block from Emma Gielas and Courtney Okwara as well as a kill from Gielas quickly tied the set up at 20-20. With UB trialing 21-20, the Bulls scored the next three points, capped off on a block from Nordmann and Simkova, putting Buffalo ahead, 23-21. The Zips would fight off one match point, but Nordmann ended the set and the match with a kill.

All five of UB's hitting options had seven kills or more as junior Kyndal Bacon was extremely effective running the offense. She finished with 38 assists in the three-set match, averaging just shy of 13 assists per set.

Malik led the way with 14 kills and just three errors as she hit .500, while adding a team-high 11 digs. Nordmann finished with eight kills, while Gielas, Simkova, and Okwara all had seven kills. Okwara hit .583 for the match as she finished with zero errors. Simkova finished with four service aces.

Defensively, sophomore Jenna Sonnenberg also finished with 11 digs, tying Malik for team-high honors. The Bulls finished with 8.0 blocks in the three sets, led by seven from Nordmann and five from Simkova.

Winners of two straight, the Bulls will now hit the road for three straight beginning on Friday at Toledo.