Bulls Take Down UConn; Split Saturday Action

Saturday, August 28

Syracuse, NY

11:00 am

0-2,0-0MAC

Albany

1-1,0-0America East

Buffalo

Albany (NY)

Bulls Take Down UConn; Split Saturday Action

8/28/2021 6:55:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

SYRACUSE, NY – The University at Buffalo volleyball team picked up their first win of the 2021 season on Saturday as UB defeated UConn in five sets. Buffalo split its two matches on the afternoon, falling to Albany, 3-0, in the morning.

The Bulls took the afternoon match over the Huskies 25-22, 15-25, 25-23, 18-25, 19-17. UConn outhit the Bulls, .252 to .199, but UB was able to take advantage of 20 UConn service errors in the match.

Overall, Buffalo showed balance on both offense and defense as two players hit double figures in kills, while four UB players reached double figures in digs. In the opening set, the Bulls got out to a 14-8 lead and continued to hold on to an 18-12 advantage following a kill from sophomore Milla Malik. UConn would come back and tie it at 20-20, but three straight points from the Bulls put them in the driver's seat, leading to a 25-22 victory.

After the Huskies tied it up in the second, the Bulls needed a comeback in the third as they trailed 20-14. UB then went on a 10-2 run to take the lead. A kill from junior Abby Leigh, clinched the third set for Buffalo.

UConn then tied the match back up with a victory in the fourth, sending the Bulls to a fifth set for the second time in three matches. The final set went back and forth as the Bulls had two match points, but the Huskies fought both of them off. Buffalo had to fight off a match point of its own, trailing 16-15, but a service error kept the match alive. Tied 17-17, the Bulls got a kill from Malik and block from Courtney Okwara and Stacia Gollogly to clinch the match.

Malik led the Bulls with 19 kills, while Abby Leigh finished with 12 kills. Okwara added eight and freshman Maria Futey finished with six.

Freshman Mandy Leigh had 38 assists for the Bulls while also leading the squad with two service aces. As a team, the Bulls finished with six aces.

Defensively, senior Kyndal Bacon led Buffalo with 16 digs, while Futey had a career best 13. Mandy Leigh finished with 11 digs as did freshman Hannah Jacoby, who made her first career start at libero.

UB had 7.0 total blocks, led by five from Abby Leigh, including two solos.

In the opener on Saturday, Albany took the contest 25-19, 25-17, 25-18 as the Great Danes hit .298 for the contest.

Malik led the Bulls with eight kills, while fellow sophomore Emma Gielas finished with six kills and Abby Leigh added seven. Mandy Leigh finished with 17 assists.

Defensively, Bacon had six digs and Futey finished with five digs and Malik had four.

The Bulls will now head to the Alabama Invite next weekend beginning on Friday with a pair of matches. UB will face Southern Mississippi at 11am ET on Friday followed by a meeting with Alabama at 7pm ET.