Bulls Have Their Eyes Set on a MAC Championship

Sunday, November 19

Kalamazoo, Mich.

6:30 p.m.

University at Buffalo

Bowling Green

Tickets

Photo by: Paul Hokanson/UBBulls.com

Bulls Have Their Eyes Set on a MAC Championship

11/18/2023 3:18:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

ESPN+Live Stats Championship Central Game Notes

By: Zach Monell

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo women's volleyball team (23-7, 13-5 MAC) will travel to Kalamazoo, Mich. for this year's MAC Tournament. Western Michigan (28-2, 28-0 MAC) will be the host of the tournament. In their most successful season in their Division I history, the Bulls look to win their first ever MAC Tournament Title.

On Saturday morning, the MAC announced their postseason awards. A program record five Bulls took home honors. Abby Leigh, Mandy Leigh, Courtney Okwara, and Katrin Trebichavska earned All-MAC First Team honors with Manoela Forlin making the All-Freshman Team list.

In dramatic fashion on the final day of the regular season, the Bulls jumped from fourth to second in the MAC standings. UB received the quarterfinal round bye and will play the winner of Ball State (16-13, 13-5 MAC) and Bowling Green (17-12, 11-7 MAC) on Sunday at 6:30 p.m.

Last season, the Bulls advanced to their first MAC Tournament Semifinal after a 3-1 decision over Ohio. In their semifinal matchup against Bowling Green, the Falcons won the match, 3-0.

For the first time in their Division I history, the Bulls reached 23 wins. The last time they reached this mark came in 1990 when the team finished 28-6.

Last season, the Bulls advanced to their first MAC Tournament Semifinal after a 3-1 decision over Ohio.

On the season, the Bulls are 16-4 when two players have 10 or more kills in a match. Katrin Trebichavska leads the team with 23 matches with 10 or more kills. There have been 26 double-doubles on the year by the Bulls. M. Leigh leads the team with 15, followed by Trebichavska (6), Maurine Calande (1), and Manoela Forlin (2).

Buffalo has the top hitting duo in the MAC with Courtney Okwara and Abby Leigh. Okwara ranks second in the nation at .450 with A. Leigh at 25th and third in the MAC with a rate of .395. UB is just one of two teams in the country to have two hitters in the top-25 in hitting percentage, the other being Wisconsin.

Courtney Okwara checks in as the fourth-best hitter in the country, hitting .450. Mandy Leigh is 30th in the NCAA averaging 10.40 assists per set and fourth in the nation with 1,175 total assists. Katrin Trebichavska has 62 service aces on the season, good for third in the country and first in the MAC. Her 0.57 aces per set is eighth in the NCAA and leads all MAC players. As a team, they're one of the best offenses in the country. The Bulls have a .269 hitting percentage, which is 31st in the country. The offense has the fifth most kills in the country with 1,542.