Friday, September 24
Buffalo, NY
6:00 pm
8-5,1-0MAC
3
vs
2
Miami (OH)
2-9,0-1MAC
1
2
3
4
5
F
Miami (OH)
24
21
25
25
12
2
Buffalo
26
25
13
21
15
3
Bulls Hang On For Five Set Win To Open MAC Play
9/24/2021 9:17:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo volleyball team opened Mid-American Conference play with a thrilling 3-2 win on Friday night as the Bulls defeated the Miami (OH) RedHawks at Alumni Arena. With the win, UB improves to 8-5 on the season and 1-0 in league play.
The Bulls took the match 26-24, 25-21, 13-25, 21-25, 15-12 despite Miami (OH) narrowly outhitting the Bulls, .167 to .151. In the opening set the Bulls had to come back after trailing 14-10. UB remained down 19-17 when the Bulls rattled off four straight points, which included three Miami hitting errors and a Hannah Jacoby service ace. The RedHawks would end up fighting off one set point, but back to back kills from Emma Gielas and Courtney Okwara clinched the set for UB.
Buffalo again trailed in the second set as Miami led 14-9, but from there the Bulls went on a 10-4 run as back to back kills from Milla Malik gave Buffalo the 19-18 lead. Kills from Malik and Okwara clinched the set and gave UB the 2-0 lead.
The RedHawks would not go down quietly though as they rolled to a 25-13 win in set three and they took the fourth set, 25-21, sending the match to a fifth set.
Buffalo hit .381 in the fifth set, recording nine kills and just one error. Miami (OH) led 7-6 in a tight start to the set, but the Bulls scored the next four points, including a pair of aces from senior Kyndal Bacon as UB went ahead 10-7. Miami would pull back within one at 12-11, but blocks from Mandy Leigh and Olivia DeBortoli and then DeBortoli and Malik put the Bulls ahead 14-11. The RedHawks fought off one match point, but a kill from Malik clinched the match.
Malik led all players with 20 kills as she took 63 swings, including 40 in the first two sets alone. Okwara was the only other player in double figures in kills with 15 as she hit .545 for the match. Gielas and freshman Maria Futey each had seven kills.
Leigh had 45 assists to lead Buffalo, while adding an ace, 13 digs, and four blocks. As a team, UB had five aces, including the two from Bacon.
Defensively, Jacoby led the Bulls with 21 digs, while Leigh and Futey each had 13. Bacon added 11 digs. UB finished with 11.0 total blocks, led by seven from DeBortoli. Six of her seven blocks came in the sets that Buffalo won.
The Bulls and RedHawks return to action tomorrow at 4pm at Alumni Arena.
The Bulls took the match 26-24, 25-21, 13-25, 21-25, 15-12 despite Miami (OH) narrowly outhitting the Bulls, .167 to .151. In the opening set the Bulls had to come back after trailing 14-10. UB remained down 19-17 when the Bulls rattled off four straight points, which included three Miami hitting errors and a Hannah Jacoby service ace. The RedHawks would end up fighting off one set point, but back to back kills from Emma Gielas and Courtney Okwara clinched the set for UB.
Buffalo again trailed in the second set as Miami led 14-9, but from there the Bulls went on a 10-4 run as back to back kills from Milla Malik gave Buffalo the 19-18 lead. Kills from Malik and Okwara clinched the set and gave UB the 2-0 lead.
The RedHawks would not go down quietly though as they rolled to a 25-13 win in set three and they took the fourth set, 25-21, sending the match to a fifth set.
Buffalo hit .381 in the fifth set, recording nine kills and just one error. Miami (OH) led 7-6 in a tight start to the set, but the Bulls scored the next four points, including a pair of aces from senior Kyndal Bacon as UB went ahead 10-7. Miami would pull back within one at 12-11, but blocks from Mandy Leigh and Olivia DeBortoli and then DeBortoli and Malik put the Bulls ahead 14-11. The RedHawks fought off one match point, but a kill from Malik clinched the match.
Malik led all players with 20 kills as she took 63 swings, including 40 in the first two sets alone. Okwara was the only other player in double figures in kills with 15 as she hit .545 for the match. Gielas and freshman Maria Futey each had seven kills.
Leigh had 45 assists to lead Buffalo, while adding an ace, 13 digs, and four blocks. As a team, UB had five aces, including the two from Bacon.
Defensively, Jacoby led the Bulls with 21 digs, while Leigh and Futey each had 13. Bacon added 11 digs. UB finished with 11.0 total blocks, led by seven from DeBortoli. Six of her seven blocks came in the sets that Buffalo won.
The Bulls and RedHawks return to action tomorrow at 4pm at Alumni Arena.
Team Stats
Miami
UB
Kills
59
58
Errors
30
31
Attempts
174
179
Hitting %
.167
.151
Points
77
74
Assists
57
54
Aces
5
5
Blocks
13
11
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
20
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
15
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballRS
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballMB
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