Bulls Conclude Home Schedule Against Miami (OH)

Friday, November 3

Buffalo, N.Y.

6 p.m.

University at Buffalo

Miami (OH)

Photo by: Paul Hokanson/UBBulls.com

Bulls Conclude Home Schedule Against Miami (OH)

11/2/2023 1:28:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Live Stats Friday ESPN+Saturday ESPN+Game Notes MAC Notes

By: Zach Monell

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo women's volleyball team (20-5, 10-3 MAC) will host the Miami (OH) RedHawks (5-20, 1-12 MAC) for a two-game series starting on Friday night at 6 p.m.

Friday's match will be International Student Day as Saturday's match will be Senior Day. The Bulls will honor their nine seniors after the 4 p.m. match. This year's seniors include Maurine Calande, Emilie Davis, Emma Gielas, Stacia Gollogly, Abby Leigh, Julianna Lopez, Hayley Montoya, Courtney Okwara, and Katrin Trebichavska. Both matches can be seen on ESPN+, as well as the full senior ceremony.

The Bulls are currently in third place in the MAC at 10-3. Overall, UB is 20-5 on the season. With their win on Saturday over Northern Illinois, the Bulls have their first 20-win season since 1995 when they finished 22-13. That is the only time UB has finished with a 20-win season in their Division I Era, since 1991. UB earned their first back-to-back 19-win seasons in Division I history. The last time it happened in program history was in 1989 (34) and 1990 (28).

Historically, the RedHawks have dominated the series against UB. The Bulls are 14-34 against Miami (OH). However, the Bulls have a four-game win streak against the RedHakws heading into Friday's match.

The Bulls are coming off a weekend split last week at Western Michigan and Northern Illinois. UB fell to the undefeated and top-seeded Western Michigan Broncos (23-2, 13-0 MAC) on Friday evening, 3-1. The Bulls won the first set and nearly went 2-0 in the match but couldn't hang on. On Saturday afternoon, the Bulls took down the Northern Illinois Huskies, 3-1.

Off their performances, Mandy Leigh and Maria Futey were named MAC East Players of the Week. M. Leigh took home the setter honors for the seventh time this season and 13^th time in her career. Futey earned the defensive honors for the first time this season and third time in her career.

On the season, the Bulls are 15-4 when two players have 10 or more kills in a match. In the last four matches, there have been at least three Bulls with at least 10 kills. Trebichavska leads the team with 19 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 first in the nation at .460 with A. Leigh at 37^th and third in the MAC with a rate of .383. UB is just one of four teams in the country to have two hitters in the top-50 in hitting percentage. The other three programs are Florida State, Duke, and Pittsburgh; all three are in the ACC.

Courtney Okwara checks in as the best hitter in the country, hitting .460. Mandy Leigh is 29^th in the NCAA averaging 10.43 assists per set and third in the nation with 1,012 total assists. Katrin Trebichavska has 55 service aces on the season, good for second in the country and first in the MAC. Her 0.60 aces per set is third 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 .267 hitting percentage, which is 25^th in the country. The offense has the fourth most kills in the country with 1,336.