Bulls Reach 20 Wins for the First Time in Nearly 30 Years

Saturday, October 28

DeKalb, Ill.

5 p.m. ET

University at Buffalo

20-5,10-3MAC

Northern Illinois

8-17,6-7MAC

Buffalo

NIU

Photo by: Paul Hokanson/UBBulls.com

Bulls Reach 20 Wins for the First Time in Nearly 30 Years

10/28/2023 9:04:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Zach Monell

DEKALB, Ill. – The University at Buffalo women's volleyball team (20-5, 10-3 MAC) defeated the Northern Illinois Huskies (6-17, 6-7 MAC) on Saturday evening in four sets, 25-18, 25-18, 23-25, 25-18. With the win, the Bulls reached 20 wins on the season. The last time UB reached at least 20 wins came in 1995 when the Bulls went 22-13. It's the second time in their Division I era to reach this mark.

The Bulls had a solid night in every phase of the game. The offense hit .322 while finishing with 66 kills and 11 service aces. Katrin Trebichavksa led the attack with 19 kills followed by Manoela Forlin and Courtney Okwara having 13 each. Trebiachavska, Abby Leigh and Maria Futey each had three aces on the night with the aggressive attack. Mandy Leigh had another solid outing with 50 assists. Futey racked up 20 digs for the fourth consecutive match and the fifth time on the season.

After taking a 4-1 lead, the Huskies tied the set at four. A 4-0 UB run led to a Northern Illinois timeout. The Bulls had no problem the rest of the way as the offense hit .375. UB edged the Huskies in the kill department, 18-13. The Huskies defense made their presence known at the net as they had three blocks in the set.

The Bulls offense was dominant in the second set. UB finished with 19 kills and a hit percentage of .500. Seven Bulls had a kill led by Forlin (5), Okwara (4), and Stacia Gollogly (4). Despite the Bulls and Huskies being tied seven times in the set, the Huskies never took a lead. Up 17-15, UB pulled away as their lead reached six before clinching the set at 25-18.

The Bulls looked for their first sweep in four matches, but the Huskies were able come away with a set win. Despite having 19 kills, the Huskies outhit the Bulls, .361 to .278. The Bulls led 22-19, but a 6-1 run by the Huskies to close the set gave them the win. Northern Illinois had four blocks to UB's one.

It was an offensive struggle for both teams in the fourth set. UB finished with a .171 hitting percentage as the Huskies finished with .000. Both squads finished with match-low kills as the Bulls had 12 and Northern Illinois totaled six. UB had four aces from four different Bulls. UB's largest lead reached eight on their way to victory.

"Our aggressive approach from the service line really paid off tonight," stated Head Coach Scott Smith. "We knew this would be an offensive shootout and kept emphasizing the need to pick up the defense and get a few more blocks. We had solid production from all areas of the court and that was another part of what we had talked about after our last match. The tough serving opened up each set and allowed us to play a little looser. Reaching 20 wins is a nice benchmark that shows we are continually moving this program in the right direction. Definitely not the end goal but becomes the standard in years to come."

The Bulls are back in action on Friday against Miami (OH) for a pair of matches against the RedHawks. This will conclude the home portion of the schedule. Friday's match is set for 6 p.m. as it'll celebrate International Students. Saturday's match will begin at 4 p.m. with the senior ceremony to follow.