Buffalo def. Central Michigan, 3-1
Ball State def. Bowling Green, 3-1
Western Michigan def. Kent State, 3-1
Miami def. Toledo, 3-0
Ohio def. Northern Illinois, 3-1
Akron def. Eastern Michigan, 3-1
Stories Courtsey of MAC Media Relations Offices
Buffalo def. Central Michigan, 3-1
BUFFALO, NY - It was a sweet homecoming for the University at Buffalo volleyball team as the Bulls took their home court for just the third time in over month Friday night and knocked off the defending Mid-American Conference Champions the Central Michigan Chippewas, 3-1. The Bulls, who began a stretch of six of the next eight match at home, are now 8-13 on the season and 2-7 in conference play. The victory was also UB’s first over a West opponent since 2010 and its first over Central Michigan since 2005.
The Bulls took the match 25-23, 25-19, 26-28, 25-21 as they outhit the Chippewas, .247 to .172. It was arguably one of the best defensive efforts for Buffalo, who dug some big time balls and recorded 17.0 blocks on the night. Tied at 15-15 in the opening set, UB scored three straight points to take the lead, but CMU came back and tied it at 19-19. However, a pair of Liz Scott kills and an Akeila Lain kill gave Buffalo a 22-19 advantage. The Chippewas pulled back within 24-23, but freshman Megan Lipski sealed the set with a thunderous kill.
Buffalo dominated the second set as it stormed out to a 19-9 lead thanks to the setting of junior Dani Reinert, who was able to evenly distribute the ball to her teammates. UB continued to lead by 10 at 23-13 and held off a late CMU charge to take the set 25-19. The third set was quite the battle between the two teams as neither side held more than a two-point lead through out the set. The Bulls fought off four set points in the third set, but Central Michigan ultimately took it, 28-26.
However, UB fought back in the fourth set determined to get the victory on its home court. The Bulls got out to an 11-6 lead in the set and led by as many as six at 18-12. The Chippewas made a late run and pulled within 23-21, but a kill from junior Carissa McKenna and a bad set by the Chippewas gave Buffalo the set and the match.
“I am very proud of the effort the entire team put out there tonight,” said head coach Todd Kress. “It was a rough stretch for us on the road, but we are thrilled to be back home and that energy showed on the court tonight.”
The Bulls had four players in double figures in kills led by 14 from freshman Tahleia Bishop, who had just five errors on a career-high 47 total attempts. Scott added 13 kills and just one error, while McKenna finished with 12 kills and just two errors. Freshman Megan Lipski added 10 kills. Reinert had 46 assists and two kills against the Chippewas.
Defensively, UB got a breakout match from freshman Kayla Yingling who had 28 digs and a service ace, starting at libero for the first time in her career. Scott recorded her first career triple-double as she added 10 digs and a career-high 10 blocks, including one solo. Bishop added eight digs. Also leading the way in the blocking department for the Bulls was McKenna, who had eight blocks, including two solos and Lain, who finished with seven blocks.
The Bulls remain home tomorrow evening when they face Eastern Michigan at 7:30 pm. Please note the change in start time from the original schedule. Those attending tomorrow’s football game against Pittsburgh can get in to tomorrow’s match for free.
Ball State def. Bowling Green, 3-1
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - - Behind a career-high 13 blocks from senior middle hitter Lisa Scott (McLean, Va./Langley/Maryland), the Ball State women’s volleyball team stunned Mid-American Conference leader Bowling Green with a 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-18, 25-23) victory Friday night at the Stroh Center.
With the win, the Cardinals hand the Falcons their first MAC and home losses of the season while improving to 11-11 (4-5 MAC). BGSU drops to 13-8 (8-1 MAC) with the loss.
“This was a win we have needed for quite some time,” said Ball State head coach Steve Shondell. “ It was a marquee win against a great opponent in Bowling Green. To win this match on the road was huge for this team, and getting most of our players back in the lineup had a positive effect on our morale.”
Overall, the Ball State defense recorded a season-high 21.0 total blocks, with three different players recording career-high blocking totals.
“This was the best blocking performance we have had in a long time,” added Shondell. “Our ability to force their all-conference attacker Danielle Tonyan into 12 errors was a tremendous factor in the match. We had a great team blocking effort tonight, but I give a lot of credit to Kara for doing a phenomenal job defending Tonyan.”
Scott finished the contest with 12 block assists and one solo stuff for a career-high 13 total blocks. Her 12 block assists tie as the fourth-most in a match in program history, while her 13 total blocks tie for ninth in BSU annals. Scott also blasted eight kills, while recording a pair of digs.
Senior outside hitter Kara Bates (Bradley, Ill./Bradley Bourbonnais Community/Maryland) added a career-high eight block assists in the victory, falling just shy of a triple-double as she also posted 12 kills and 12 digs.
Redshirt freshman outside hitter Hayley Benson (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Bradley) was the third BSU player to post career-high blocking numbers with six block assists, while adding a eight kills.
Junior outside hitter Lauren Grant (Eagan, Minn./Eastview/Cincinnati) paced the Ball State attack with a season-high tying 14 kills to go along with a .481 (14-1-27) hitting mark, three total blocks (one solo and two assists) and a career-best three service aces.
Junior middle hitter Mindy Marx (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven) added a season-high seven block assists, while junior setter Jacqui Seidel (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East) recorded three block assists. Marx added six kills to her stat line, while Seidel dished out 44 assists and posted 14 digs for her 11th double-double of the year.
Junior libero Catie Fredrich (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) led the Ball State backcourt with 21 digs, while freshman defensive specialist Kati Vasalakis (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) added a career-high tying 11.
Overall, the Ball State offense connected for a .214 (50-17-154) rate of success while the defense limited the BGSU attack to a .172 (60-31-169) hitting mark.
Tonyan led the Falcons with 18 kills, while Lindsay Butterfield scored 16 and Paige Penrod scored 14. Penrod also led all players with 27 digs.
The Falcons jumped out to a 7-3 advantage in the opening set, only to see Ball State battle back and even the score at 9-9 on a kill from Bates. With the score knotted at 13-13, back-to-back kills from Scott and Seidel helped Ball State rattle off the next five points and force a BGSU timeout at 17-14. A block assists from Bates and Marx would give Ball State set-point, at 24-17, while a Falcons’ service error three rallies later ended the frame at 25-19.
Once again, the Falcons dominated the early portion of the second set, scoring the first four points and playing to a 5-1 edge. Ball State would battle back within two, at 15-13 after back-to-back Scott kills, only to have BGSU reclaim a four-point lead at 17-13.
Grant would step up with a pair of kills and a solo block to bring the Cardinals within one point, at 18-17, only to see Bowling Green respond with four of the next five points to pull ahead 22-18. However, three BGSU errors and a pair of BSU blocks allowed the Cardinals to score the next five points and claim its first lead of the set at 23-22. Unfortunately, it was Ball State’s only lead of the set as the Falcons scored the final three points, winning the frame 25-23 on an ace.
Ball State rattled the Bowling Green attack early in the third frame, as five blocks all including Scott helped the Cardinals surge ahead 8-2. Back-to-back service aces from Grant would give the Cardinals an eight-point edge at 15-7, and from there, BSU cruised to a 25-18 set victory which was capped by a kill from Benson.
With Ball State holding a slim 3-2 lead in the fourth set, a four-point BGSU run gave the hosts some momentum and a 6-3 edge. The Falcons held a four-point lead at the 16-12 mark, only to see back-to-back kills and a block from Marx pull BSU within one at 16-15. Another block assist from Marx and Bates tied the score at 17, while a Fredrich ace gave BSU the lead at 19-18.
Kills from Bates, Grant and Scott would give Ball State a 23-21 advantage, while a BGSU service error gave the Cardinals match-point. After a kill from the Falcons’ Tonyan, Grant would blast a match-winning marker down the line.
The Ball State women’s volleyball team returns to action Saturday, when it travels to Oxford, Ohio, to battle the Miami RedHawks in a 5 p.m. first serve at Millett Hall.
Western Michigan def. Kent State, 3-1
KENT, Ohio - The Western Michigan volleyball team recorded a season-high 13 service aces on Friday, and the Broncos earned an important 3-1 (25-21, 24-26, 25-20, 25-18) road victory over the Kent State Golden Flashes. With the victory, the Broncos improve to 14-8 overall, 7-2 in the Mid-American Conference.
The Broncos recorded 13 total aces against the Golden Flashes, with setter Terin Norris setting a career-high with five of those aces. Five different Broncos recorded aces, with four of them recording two or more aces over the course of four sets. Offensively, Jessica Brown led the Broncos with 13 kills and a .358 hitting percentage, while Ali Gossen recorded her third double-double of the year with 11 kills and 10 digs. Lena Oliver notched a team-high 24 digs.
The key to the match came when the Broncos took the all-important third set, swinging the momentum after dropping the second to the Golden Flashes. The Broncos opened the set on a 6-2 run, taking a 5-2 lead on a kill from Brown and expanding the lead on a Kent attack error. The Golden Flashes battled back and briefly took the lead, going ahead by as many as four points when a Morgan Semmelhack ace made it 17-13. Stephenee Yancy would get things going with a kill, and Norris would notch acces on three of the next four serves to put WMU ahead 18-17. Gossen recorded a kill to make things 23-19, and Brown would ice the set with a kill of her own to make it 25-20 and put WMU ahead 2-1 in the match.
The teams battled back and forth in a tight fourth set, but the Broncos got the upper hand when Gillian Asque recorded a kill to make it 13-12. Richelle Ranney expanded the lead with a kill on the next point, and Caroline Rose recorded back-to-back service aces to put the Broncos ahead 20-14. The lead expanded to seven points when Brown recorded a kill, and Norris put the Broncos at set point when she put away a set from Oliver to make it 24-17. Ranney would deliver the final blow with a kill, sending the Broncos to a 25-18 set win and a 3-1 match victory.
Neither team was able to get things rolling offensively in the first set, but the Broncos were better able to battle through the adversity and earn the win. The Golden Flashes led 14-8 at one point, but the Broncos would storm back to stun the home team and take advantage in the match. Gossen recorded a kill to make it 14-9 and spark a 9-0 run that gave the Broncos a 17-14 lead. Kent State briefly re-took the lead, but an attack error by the Golden Flashes but the Broncos on top 22-21. WMU wouldn't allow another point for hte rest of the set, with Asque finishing off the set with a kill to make it 25-21.
Miami def. Toledo, 3-0
OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University volleyball team captured its second straight Mid-American Conference win on Friday with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 26-24) sweep of Toledo. The RedHawks improve to 7-15 overall and 2-7 in the MAC. The Rockets fall to 8-14 overall and 2-7 in the MAC.
Redshirt freshman Jenny Ingle was the leader for Miami on Friday. She tied a career high with 15 kills in the win. She made only one error in 22 attempts for an incredible hitting percentage of .636. Ingle also contributed three blocks (one solo and two assisted).
Three kills from Lisa Treadway, along with kills from Meg Riley and Ingle helped lead the RedHawks to a 7-1 advantage to begin set one. Ingle would put down two more kills as Miami would maintain the advantage around six points during the middle part of the set. Trailing 9-16, Toledo would go on a 6-1 run to close within two at 15-17. Sarah Chaney responded with back-to-back kills to put the RedHawks up four, but a 6-3 run from the Rockets would make it 21-22 and force a Miami timeout. Out of the break a kill from Riley off of Amy Kendall’s assist and a ball handling error would give the ‘Hawks set point at 24-21. The Rockets fought it off twice, but a kill from Riley would finish off a 25-23 win.
Ingle kept up her strong attack early in set two, as she put down three kills to help Miami take a 7-2 lead. Toledo would keep it close, eventually pulling to within three at 10-13. Miami would then respond with a 6-2 run to take control of the set at 19-12. With the score 20-14, the RedHawks closed on a 5-1 run to earn a 25-15 victory. Ingle finished it off with back-to-back kills.
The RedHawks once again went in front early in set three, taking a 6-2 advantage. This time Toledo fought back, answering with a 12-6 run to go in front, 14-12. A service error temporarily stalled the rally, but the Rockets would eventually get the lead back to four at 20-16. Trailing 18-23, the RedHawks would make a great comeback run. A kill from Riley, a Toledo attack error and a block by Riley and Ingle would make it 21-23 and force a Rocket timeout. Out of the break Ingle would put down a kill to cut the deficit to one. Toledo responded with a kill of its own to end the run and give itself set point. Miami did not give up as Ingle and Treadway fought it off with back-to-back kills. Tied at 24, Riley scored a kill off of Kendall’s assist to give the ‘Hawks set point. They would then take a 26-24 victory when the Rockets’ next attack went out of bounds.
Miami hit .385 for the match while holding Toledo to only a .153 hitting percentage. In addition to Ingle’s 15 kills, Treadway and Riley each finished with nine. Riley led the RedHawks with 23 assists, while Madison Hardy had 19 blocks.
Miami will look to keep its winning streak going when it hosts Ball State on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Ohio def. Northern Illinois, 3-1
ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio Volleyball moved to the top of the MAC standings with a come-from-behind 3-1 victory over Northern Illinois this evening, 15-25, 26-24, 25-22, 25-15. The Bobcats won their eighth match in a row and fifth-straight against a MAC West foe.
"I thought we showed reslience and fight but didn't execute in the second set," Head Coach Ryan Theis said. "Then in the third set, we started to execute and that made all the difference. Our seniors, Lexie, Leah and Faith did an excellent job for us tonight, creating momentum and sustaining rallies."
Kelly Lamberti finished with a double-double of 17 kills and 14 digs and classmate Chelsea Bilger had 12 kills for the 'Cats. Faith Robins had nine kills, hitting .350, and Lexie Hartnett finished with eight kills while hitting .467.
Leah Petrovich paced Ohio with 28 assists and freshman Abby Gilleland also added 16 helpers. Meredith Ashy led the Green and White in digs with 24 and sophomore Serena Warner topped the team with five blocks. On the night, the Bobcats finished with 10 team blocks and hit .237 over the final three sets.
Ohio led 5-4 in the first set but then lost eight of the next 10 points. Trailing 14-11 the Bobcats then relinquished eight of the next nine points and fell behind 22-12. NIU wound up hitting .387 as it rolled to a 25-15 win in the first frame.
The Green and White found themselves in hot water after it fell behind 5-1 to start the next set. Trailing 17-13, Ohio ran off three points in a row and a Lamberti ace forced a Husky timeout. A block by Robins would eventually draw the ‘Cats even at 21-21.
Ohio went ahead on an attack error at 24-23 and NIU used its second timeout. After the Huskies tied the score, Bilger notched consecutive kills to even the match, 26-24. She and Lamberti combined for 10 of the ‘Cats’ 15 kills in the second set.
The Bobcats led 12-7 in the third set before the visitors scored five in a row to even the score. Ohio went on to score five of the next six points to gain a 17-13 advantage, forcing a NIU timeout. After the Huskies cut the gap to one, a service error followed by a Lamberti ace made the score 20-17.
NIU eventually evened the score once more at 21-21 but consecutive kills for Lamberti pushed the Bobcats ahead by two. After a Husky kill, Warner notched a kill then combined on a block with Lamberti to put Ohio ahead in the match, 2-1. Hartnett was a big factor for the Bobcats in the frame, notching five kills on seven swings.
Ohio dominated the fourth and final set from the jump, scoring eight of the first 10 points. NIU got within three points on two occasions but the Bobcats were never really threatened. The Green and White scored the final four points of the set to win 25-15 and take the match.
The Bobcats hit a match-best .325 in the final set with Robins and Lamberti combining for 10 kills, five apiece. Ohio’s defense was also strong down the stretch as it held NIU to a .088 attack percentage and picked up eight blocks over the last two sets.
It will be a battle of MAC division leaders tomorrow as the Bobcats host Western Michigan tomorrow night at 7 p.m.
Akron def. Eastern Michigan, 3-1
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron volleyball team got back on track Friday night with a commanding four set victory over Eastern Michigan, 25-14, 20-25, 25-22, 25-22.
The win was the Zips' first over a Mid-American Conference West Division team this season, and improves their record to 11-10 overall and 4-5 in league play.
Defense was the key to success for UA, as four players finished with double-digit digs for the third consecutive match. Jill Paluch and Chelsea Harvey blazed the trail with 19 and Ashley Holder set another personal-best mark in her young career with 18. Morgan Kuhn picked up 17 digs to go with 44 assists for her sixth double-double on the year.
Overall, Akron out-dug EMU 86-77, but the tenacity didn't stop in the back row. The Zips recorded 12 total team blocks, led by Tina Dimitrijevs' four solo and four assists.
UA's defensive prowess kept Eastern from finding any sort of rhythm, stifling the Eagles' offensive game plan and holding them to attack percentages under .100 in two out of the four sets.
In the hunt for career kill No. 1,000, Dimitrijevs is now at 988. She led Akron against EMU with 16 and is just 12 shy of the milestone.
Alex Cocklin and Paiton Twitty also delivered for the Zips offensively with 15 and 12 kills.
The first set laid the groundwork for the evening, when the Zips built an early lead that soon became untouchable. The period was highlighted by an 11-2 Akron run that included eight unanswered points. Cocklin, Dimitrijevs and Twitty traded points to maintain the Zips' 10-point cushion and cruise to a first set victory.
Eastern Michigan would answer in the second set but it would not be easy. The score tied nine times and the lead changed hands another four. Akron was able to force several opportune EMU errors to stay in the game down the stretch, but a one-point deficit at the 19-18 mark would grow just far enough out of reach for UA.
With the match tied at one, Dimitrijevs came out of the break and handed out five kills in the third set without an error for a .357 hitting percentage. Two of those kills came on back-to-back plays and gave the Zips a set point advantage, forcing an EMU timeout. The Eagles staved off defeat on the next play but could not bear down on the following Harvey kill that gave Akron the 2-1 overall advantage.
Although the fourth set saw the same score, there was never any question the Zips would ride their lead out until the end. As a team, they hit .213 in the final period to Eastern's .140.
Akron will look to carry its momentum into Saturday's match against Central Michigan. The 2011 MAC Tournament champions, CMU (12-8, 6-3 MAC) fell in four sets at Buffalo Friday night. First serve against the Chippewas is set for 5 p.m. at Rhodes Arena.