Central Michigan def. Ball State, 3-2
Eastern Michigan def. Toledo, 3-2
Kent State def. Buffalo, 3-1
Ohio def. Akron, 3-0
Stories courtsey of MAC Media Relations Offices
Central Michigan def. Ball State, 3-2
MOUNT PLEASANT - Central Michigan extended its winning streak to four, using a come-from-behind victory over Ball State Friday night to do so.
The Chippewas (10-6, 4-1 MAC) were able to take the decisive fifth set, 15-12, after claiming the fourth set, 25-22, and the first set of the match, 25-19. The Cardinals (9-9, 2-3 MAC) took sets two and three, 25-21 and 25-22.
The decisive fifth set was back and forth for most of the way with the two Mid-American Conference West division foes trading points until back-to-back kills from seniors Lindsey Dulude and Jocelyn VerVelde gave the Maroon and Gold an 11-10 advantage. A pair of attacking errors by the Cardinals sandwiched a kill from CMU junior Danielle Gotham and eventually Dulude put the finishing touches on a big night and the match with a kill from the left side.
Dulude finished the night with 14 kills, 15 digs and three aces, marking her seventh double-double of the season.
The Chippewas got off to a slow start in the first set, but were able to use a balanced attack and rally back to take anearly one-match lead, 25-19. After CMU fell behind 15-11, head coach Erik Olson took a timeout and seemed to spark the Chippewas as they rallied and tied the match on a kill from senior Val DeWeerd, 16-16. After a service error from the Cardinals' Lauren Grant, Dulude served the final five points of the set andfreshman Angie White closed the door with a kill on an assist from junior Kelly Maxwell.
The Cardinals were able to take the second and third sets to threaten ending the Chippewas' winning streak, but the Maroon and Gold rallied in the fourth to keep their chances alive.
Down 12-10 halfway through the fourth, Maxwell dumped a ball over the net for a kill and sophomore Kaitlyn McIntyre slammed home a kill from the left side to tie things up. A service error on the Cardinals gave the Chippewas the lead, 15-14, and they would not relinquish it. A kill from Gotham and ace from junior Jenna Coates extended the lead to 19-17, forcing Ball State into a timeout and Dulude the lead with back-to-back kills before another attacking error on the Cardinals made it a four-point CMU advantage, 22-18. After the Cardinals pulled within two and forced a timeout, McIntyre put the set away with a kill from the left side, giving CMU the win and setting up the fifth-set victory.
McIntyre also finished the night with 14 kills, while Gotham had 13 and VerVelde a season-high eight. Maxwell dished out 51 assists, marking the third time in five matches she has done so, and Coates finished the night with a match-high 22 digs.
The Chippewas hit just .198 on the night as a team, but their defense was able to limit the Cardinals to a .187 hitting percentage. CMU also took advantage of its hot serving, finishing the nightwith 10 aces as Maxwell and Coates each had three with Dulude.
CMU will look to continue its winning streak tomorrow evening at Toledo. The match is set for a 7:30 start.
Eastern Michigan def. Toledo, 3-2
TOLEDO, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University volleyball squad needed five sets (31-33, 21-25, 30-28, 25-23, 15-9) to disperse of the University of Toledo Rockets Friday, Oct. 5, at Toledo. After falling behind 0-2, the Eagles were able to take the final three sets of the match to pull out the victory.
EMU advanced their record on the season to 12-9 and 2-3 in conference matches, while the Rockets fell to 7-10 and 1-4 in Mid-American Conference tilts.
Eastern was led by four double-double performances, including Kim Hildreth (Novi, Mich.-Novi) who posted a career-high 61 assists, while picking up 16 digs. Senior Rachel Iaquaniello (Plymouth, Mich.-Dearborn Divine Child) posted a match-high 25 kills and 13 digs, good for her 13th double-double performance of the 2012 campaign. Paige Roback (Maumee, Ohio-Notre Dame Academy) notched 16 kills and 11 digs, while Erin Short (Orrville, Ohio-Orrville) picked up 11 kills and 17 digs, respectively. Kristen Baker (Mentor, Ohio-Mentor) had the best attack percentage for EMU, hitting at a .458 (11-0-24) clip.
Eastern struggled in the opening set, falling 31-33. Iaquaniello posted six kills, while Roback had five. As a team, EMU hit .230 (20-6-61), but was unable to keep the Rockets at bay. Lauren Rafdal and Sondra Parys each notched eight kills in the frame for UT.
The Eagles fell in the second set, 21-25, as Toledo's offense hit at a .325 (16-3-40) clip. Rafdal added five more kills to her total. For EMU, Iaquaniello and Roback continued to shine with five and four kills, respectively.
The Green and White started to turn it around in the third set as Iaquaniello's nine kills headed up the EMU offense. The Eagles made it 2-1 with a 30-28 set victory. Eastern hit .250 (20-6-56), while holding the Rockets to a .208 (18-7-53) attack percentage.
Despite hitting just .098 (11-7-41) in the fourth set, the Green and White used three total team blocks to take the set 25-23. Eastern also held the Rockets to a .167 (15-8-42) attack percentage in the frame.
EMU took the final set with relative ease, 15-9. The Eagles hit .333 (9-3-18), while Toledo hit .111 (5-3-18). Short and Iaquaniello led the offense with three kills apiece to give Eastern its second MAC win of the 2012 campaign.
The Eagles continue the MAC schedule Saturday, Oct. 6, when they travel to Muncie, Ind. to take on Ball State University. The Eagles and Cardinals are set to hit the court at 7:30 p.m.
Kent State def. Buffalo, 3-1
KENT, Ohio — The Kent State volleyball received contributions from several members in battling back to defeat Buffalo, 3-1 (14-25, 25-17, 25-22, 26-24), in a Mid-American Conference match Friday (Oct. 5) night at the M.A.C. Center.
The Golden Flashes (5-12, 2-3) were unable to get anything going on offense (-.034 hitting percentage) and were beaten in the opening set of the match. The Flashes were hitting on all cylinders in the final three sets, totaling a combined .398 hitting percentage, and took the match in four sets.
"We didn't do anything differently other than the girls' mentality," first-year head coach Don Gromala said of his team's play over the final three sets. "I think they were trying to let things happen instead of creating things in that first set."
Sophomore outside hitter Tinuke Aderemi-Ibitola (Ellicott City, Md.) led the way on offense with 20 kills, including 10 during the pivotal third set that gave the Flashes a 2-sets-to-1 advantage, and a .333 hitting percentage. Aderemi-Ibitiola also posted nine digs.
"She came out kind of flat tonight but then started to have a more aggressive mentality and led that charge for us," Gromala said. "She took some big swings for us and she took some shots they weren't ready for, I think, and that opened up our offense for us."
Freshmen outside hitters Kelly Hutchison (Columbus, Ohio) and Morgan Semmelhack (Elmhurst, Ill.) contributed to the balanced Kent State attack with nine kills and seven kills, respectively. Both players finished with hitting percentages over .300.
Sophomore setter Jenny Buczek (Orland Park, Ill.) posted a double-double with 16 assists and a career-high 12 digs. Junior setter Aleksandra Nowak (Damnica, Poland) had a team-high 24 assists for the Golden Flashes.
Kent State matches its season-high with 12 team blocks. Senior middle blocker Kathy Krupa (Burbank, Ill.) led the way with six while freshman middle blocker Haley Schneider (Farmington Hills, Mich.) had five, and sophomore middle blocker Liz Reikow (Holland, Mich.) had four. Junior defensive specialist/libero Hannah Herc (Eden, N.Y.) played well on the backline with 10 digs.
Clinging to a 21-20 lead in the third set and momentum on the line, Aderemi-Ibitola delivered back-to-back kills to push the lead to 23-20. She would add another kill, her 10th of the set, to give Kent State a 2-1 advantage.
After jumping out to an 8-2 lead in the fourth set, the Flashes allowed Buffalo to even the score at 22-22. The experience of being in this situation many times previously this season finally paid off for Kent State. After trading the next four points, the set was tied 24-24 and Buffalo controlled the serve. Once again, Aderemi-Ibitola made a play when her team needed it with a kill that allowed the Flashes to serve for match point. Outside hitter Lauren Engleman (Cincinnati, Ohio) subbed into the match for her first appearance of the night, and made a huge block on an attack by the Bulls to seal the victory for Kent State.
"The girls played really steady," Gromala said of his team's ability to win close sets. "They played consistent tonight, same with our ball control. Hanna (Herc) did a great job of keeping us in our system at the end of those sets. She was aggressive stepping in front of some balls and was able to get them to our passers."
Liz Scott led Buffalo with 20 kills while Carissa McKenna added 11 kills. Danie Reinert recorded a match-high 48 assists while libero Kelly Svoboda posted 19 digs for the Bulls.
Kent State will open the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge for the 2012-13 academic year with a match against Akron Saturday at 7 p.m. at the M.A.C. Center.
Ohio def. Akron, 3-0
ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio Volleyball ran its consecutive-set stretch to 12 with its fourth sweep in a row, topping Akron this evening, 25-20, 25-23, 25-17. Chelsea Bilger’s season-high 17 kills paced the Bobcats and moved them to 4-1 in the MAC standings.
Bilger, who has amassed 43 kills over the last three matches, surpassed 500 for her career tonight against the Zips and was the only Bobcat in double figures.
“It was an all-around effort tonight from everyone, especially in erasing that deficit in the second set, “Head Coach Ryan Theis said. “You have to do all the little things right in situations like that and I think that’s what we did really well tonight.”
Abby Gilleland and Leah Petrovich split the setting duties with the freshman notching 18 and the senior tallying 16. Petrovich also had four blocks, second on the team to Serena Warner’s seven. Meredith Ashy, the reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Week, led Ohio with 15 digs.
“In these types of matches and those types of games, it is intense,” Petrovich said. “Both teams are going after it and its neck-and-neck, we just have to do whatever it takes to get back in the lead and win the set and match.”
Ohio held a four-point lead in the first set until the Zips scored six of the next seven points and took an 11-10 edge. Ohio countered with five of the next points as a Bilger kill gave it the lead, 15-12. Akron would cut the gap to one at 18-17 but Ohio rattled off three points in a row to force a timeout at 21-17.
One more point pushed the lead to five at 23-18 and UA would take its second timeout of the set. A kill by Kelly Lamberti closed things out in favor of the ‘Cats, 25-20. Bilger and Lamberti combined for nine of Ohio’s 14 kills as the team hit .250.
Akron was aggressive in the second set, scoring six points in a row to break a tie and take a 10-4 lead. Ohio still trailed by five before a three-point run culminating with a kill by Hannah Burkle, forced a timeout from the visitors at 18-16.
An attack error by the Zips would eventually even the score at 21-21 as they used their final timeout of the set. Successive kills by Lexie Hartnett and Bilger gave Ohio a lead at 23-22 and the sophomore notched two more kills to win the set, 25-23.
Ohio dominated the third set from the jump as it jumped out to an 8-0 lead behind the serving of Ashy. The closest Akron would get is four points at 12-8, but Ohio rolled off three in a row with Petrovich and Lamberti combining on a block.
The original surge by the ‘Cats wound up being the difference as Ohio won the set 25-17. Warner was a part of four of Ohio’s six blocks in the set and Petrovich tallied three blocks and 12 assists.
Ohio remains at home tomorrow night for a Bobcat Blackout against Buffalo at 7 p.m. Present your football ticket stub for FREE admission to the match and the first 500 fans in attendance receive a free Ohio Bobcats scarf. Everyone is obviously encouraged to wear black!
It is also the final Little Bobcats session of the season. Fans in attendance for the match will be treated to a halftime exhibition by all of the Little Bobcats.