Courtesy of MAC Sport Information Departments
Eastern Washington 3, Akron 1 -- Boxscore
Akron 3, Montana 2 -- Boxscore
FULLERTON, Calif – The University of Akron volleyball team earned a split on its final day of the Fullerton/Riverside Classic on Saturday. The Zips pushed Eastern Washington to four sets, but ultimately fell, 3-1 (20-25, 25-14, 20-25, 15-20). Akron concluded the weekend with a 3-2 (20-25, 26-24, 22-25, 25-21, 15-10) victory over Montana.
Akron improved to 2-1 overall after its first weekend of play.
In the Zips match against Eastern Washington, senior Kayla Gwozdz(Temperance, Mich.) led with 13 kills while adding eight digs. Sophomore Alexis Adleta (West Chester, Ohio) and junior Ashley Richardson(Doylestown, Ohio) had 10 kills, each, while sophomore Shelby Fulmer (Perrysburg, Ohio) recorded nine kills. Sophomores Emily Weigand (Burton, Ohio) and Taylor Kuruzovich (Port Matilda, Pa.) had 27 and 21 set assists, respectively.
Dayton 3, Ball State 1 -- Boxscore
Ball State 3, Marshall 0 – Boxscore
DAYTON, Ohio - - The Ball State women's volleyball team closed opening weekend with a dominating 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-15) victory over Marshall Saturday evening in its final match of the Dayton Invitational at the Frericks Center.
With the win, the Cardinals finished the first weekend of competition with a 2-1 record. For their efforts over the course of the two-day event, senior outside hitter Ellie Dunn and junior setter Amber Seaman were named to the Dayton Invitational All-Tournament Team.
Dunn dominated from the attack line, recording double-digit kills in all three matches and leading all players in kills in Ball State's wins over South Alabama and Marshall. She finished the weekend with a 3.83 kills-per-set average and a .336 (46-10-107) attack percentage. On defense, Dunn logged back-to-back double-doubles to open the tournament and averaged 2.33 digs per set.
Seaman helped guide the Ball State offense to a .231 (147-54-403) attack percentage for the weekend by averaging 9.75 assists per set. She also served up a team-high five aces, logged five total blocks and registered 20 digs.
In the evening win over The Herd, Ball State hit a season-best .385 (48-11-96), held a 47-to-32 advantage in team digs and pick up its third consecutive win from the service line with six aces compare to three for Marshall.
In Saturday's opener versus tournament host Dayton, the Cardinals managed just 16 kills over the first two sets. Ball State's offense took off in the third frame, however, as the team's passing picked up and helped the attack connect for 21 kills and a .360 (21-3-50) attack percentage to pull out a 29-27 victory.
The Cardinals continued their hot hitting in the fourth, but despite battling to overtime for the second straight set, Ball State could not force a fifth frame and dropped the match 3-1 (19-25, 17-25, 29-27, 26-28).
Wofford 3, Bowling Green 0
Boxscore
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Bowling Green State University volleyball program concluded play this afternoon at the Purdue Mortar Board Premier. The Falcons were defeated by Wofford College, 3-0, Saturday afternoon at Purdue's Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Buffalo 3, North Dakota State 1
Boxscore
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo volleyball team defeated North Dakota St. 3-1 on Saturday afternoon to claim the Blue and White Classic title as the Bulls finished a perfect 3-0 on the weekend. It is UB's first 3-0 start to a season since 2013 and just their third time overall since 1999.
The Bulls took the contest, 22-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-16, as UB outhit the Bison, .254 to .095. For the second straight match the Bulls had to overcome an early deficit though with North Dakota State winning the opening set.
UB was able to open a 14-9 advantage in the second and continued to build on it as a service ace from junior Polina Prokudina put UB ahead, 17-11. The Bulls continued to lead for the remainder of the set, capping it off on a block from Prokudina and Megan Wernette, giving the Bulls the 25-19 win and tying the match up at 1-1.
The Bison got out to the quick start in the third set, as they opened it on an 8-3 run, but the Bulls got right back into the set, scoring the next four points, including a pair of kills from Wernette. With NDSU leading 12-8, the Bulls went on a 5-0 run as a kill by sophomore Andrea Mitrovic put UB ahead, 13-12. North Dakota State would retake a 21-18 lead in the set, but the Bulls would hold them scoreless, scoring the final seven points thanks to the service of freshman Paige Beck, who had an ace during the run.
The Bison held a couple early one-point leads in the fourth set, but for the most part the Bulls dominated the action. They got out to the 14-11 lead on a kill from Mitrovic as the Bison took a time out. Like in the third set, the Bulls scored the final seven points as they took an 18-16 lead and never allowed North Dakota State to score again as a kill from Mitrovic ended the match.
Senior Larra Bickelhaupt was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, while Wernette and Mitrovic were each named to the All-Tournament Team.
Mitrovic led the Bulls with 22 kills, her second straight 20-kill performance. Junior Rachel Sanks added 10 kills, while Wernette had nine and Prokudina and junior Kristina Nieves each had seven. Junior Scout McLerran had 44 assists to pace the UB offense, to go along with three kills and seven digs.
Defensively, Bickelhaupt and Beck each finished with 11 digs, while Prokudina and Mitrovic had seven. The Bulls finished with 11.0 total blocks, including a career-high six blocks from Prokudina, including two solos. Nieves added four and Wernette had three, McLerran and Mitrovic each had two blocks, including a solo.
The Bulls will now take their talents to the road as they play next weekend at the Cornell Invitational. The tournament will begin Friday night at 7pm when UB faces Cornell in a match that will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
Bryant 3, Central Michigan 2 -- Boxscore
UIC 3, Central Michigan 0 – Boxscore
CHICAGO – After starting out its season with a victory, the Central Michigan volleyball team dropped two matches on Saturday to conclude the UIC Invitational.
The Chippewas (1-2) fell to Bryant 20-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-22, 15-11 and later to the invitational-host Flames 25-23, 25-21, 25-20.
Kalina Smith led CMU in kills combining for 27 in two matches and finished second on the team with 25 digs on the day. Megan Kern led the Chippewas with 33 digs and Marissa Grant dished out 78 assists.
Smith's effort on the offensive and defensive end earned her a spot on the All-Tournament team. The sophomore finished the invitational with 42 kills, 28 digs, three blocks and two aces.
"She brings a threat as blocker, attacker and server and she was a pretty steady player for us this weekend," said CMU head coach Mike Gawlik. "We will expect big things from her."
Eastern Michigan 3, Manhattan 0 -- Boxscore
St. John's 3, Eastern Michigan 2 – Boxscore
QUEENS, N.Y. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team returned to action at the St. John's University Kaiser Classic Saturday, Aug. 25. The Eagles split the day's competition, defeating Manhattan College in straight sets, 3-0, and fell in a heartbreaker to tournament host, St. John's University, 3-2.
The 3-1 start to the season for Eastern is the best for the Eagles in the Kimi Olson era, and the top mark since they went 4-0 at the Memphis Invitational to start the 2012 season.
ST. JOHN'S 3 EASTERN MICHIGAN 2
In the finale of the Kaiser Classic, Eastern nearly thwarted St. John's defense of its home tournament, coming back from down two games to one, and later 10-5 in the decisive fifth set, to lose 25-21, 20-25, 20-25, 25-19, and 14-16.
Sophomore Franki Strefling (Niles, Mich.-Buchanan) shone brightly on the big stage in New York, finishing the match with a career-high 20 kills while hitting .306. She also added 11 digs for her second double-double of the season. Senior Jordan Smith (Solon, Iowa-Solon), who only played one set of the day's first match, finished with 17 kills and 13 digs, good for her first double-double of the season.
Joining the pin hitters in double-digit kills was redshirt junior Cassie Haut (Monroe, Mich.-St. Mary Catholic Central) with 13. Haut and freshman Julia Fisher (Kailua, Hawaii-Le Jardin Academy) each led the way for Eastern with five total blocks, while redshirt senior Mallory Rajewski (Midland, Mich.-Midland) added 41 assists and 17 digs to the Eagles' effort.
The Eagles had three players named to the St. John's Kaiser Classic All-Tournament team, as Haut, Rajewski, and Smith were honored for their play over the weekend.
Haut finished the three games she played averaging over 13 kills per match while attacking at a .642 clip. The redshirt junior also added 12 total blocks. Rajewski, who also saw action in three of four matches, averaged 10.64 assists per set to go along with 40 total digs, nine kills, and two double-doubles. Smith, who played in just one set of the Manhattan match, averaged 3.92 kills per set, had a .273 attack percentage, put up 25 digs, and had four services aces and total blocks.
EASTERN MICHIGAN 3 MANHATTAN 0
Eastern began the second day of the tournament exactly how it had finished the first: a three-game sweep in dominating fashion. The Green and White won handily by scores of 25-11, 25-17, and 25-10, led by freshman Julia Fisher, who set a career-high nine kills on a .533 attack percentage.
The Eagles hit .292 for the match while holding the Jaspers to just .047. EMU had 20 more kills (38 to 18), six more digs (48 to 42), and four more services aces (six to two) in the match while adding three players with a .450-or-better hitting percentage.
Junior Riley Taylor (Indianapolis, Ind.-Perry Meridian) orchestrated the attack for Eastern, handing out 32 assists in the match. Fellow junior Camille Schomer (Rochester, Mich.-Oakland Christian), acting as libero, led the team with 22 digs. Joining in the fun was sophomore Franki Strefling, who had seven kills and 10 digs while hitting .462.
Eastern Michigan returns to Washtenaw County to take part in the Michigan Invitational. The three-game tournament will include a match at the University of Michigan, Saturday, Sept. 1, at 12 p.m., as well as a home match against Cleveland State University at 7 p.m. The weekend wraps with a match against Harvard University Sunday, Sept. 2, at 1 p.m.
North Texas 3, Kent State 0
Boxscore
DENTON, Texas – Kent State dropped its first match of the 2018 volleyball season, falling 3-0 (17-25, 17-25, 14-25) to the hosts in Saturday's North Texas Invitational championship.
The Golden Flashes (2-1) and Mean Green (3-0) both earned a pair of 3-0 victories on Friday to setup a showdown between the tournament's two unbeaten teams. North Texas has now won 18 of 20 home matches the past two seasons.
"We didn't get the result we wanted today, but I thought the team had a good weekend overall, especially considering the circumstances," said head coach Don Gromala. "We were able to get a lot of new players some game experience. North Texas is really talented and would be a top tier team in the MAC, so it was good to face a team of that caliber this early in the year."
Kent State's offense was unable to replicate its offensive performance from Friday, totaling just 23 kills to go with 23 attack errors for a .000 hitting percentage. Freshman Kathryn Ellison had a team-high seven kills with senior Darby Connors contributing six kills to lead the way.
"North Texas kind of put us on our heels with its service pressure, so we couldn't really run the offense the way we wanted to," Gromala added. "Our middles did a great job for us yesterday, but it was hard to get them involved with how tough they were serving.
The Flashes earned the first point of the match on a service error and it was tied 4-4 through the first eight points. North Texas rallied off five straight and Kent State was able to get within three multiple times, the last coming at 13-10. The hosts countered with a 5-1 run to gain separation and take the opening set, 25-17
A slow start to the second set saw the Flashes fall behind 8-2. The deficit reached seven points (11-4) when Connors sparked an 8-4 run to get within three. The outside hitter posted three kills and an ace to account for four of the first five points during the stretch. Leading 18-14, the Mean Green put the set away with a 7-3 run.
A competitive start to the third set included five ties and three lead changes, as North Texas held a narrow 13-12 lead. The Mean Green then closed the match on a 12-2 run, which included the final seven points, to capture the tournament title.
Defensively, freshman Erin Gardner led the Flashes with 10 digs. Ellison tallied seven digs. Connors, junior Myla King and freshman Danie Tyson recorded two total blocks apiece.
Sophomore Natalie Tagala had a team-high 11 assists and senior Sam Jones totaled nine assists.
Freshmen Kathryn Ellison and Danie Tyson were named to the all-tournament team. Ellison led Kent State with 30 kills (3.33 per set) and was second with 25 digs (2.78 per set). Tyson added 16 kills (1.78 per set) and was the team leader with eight total blocks and a .303 hitting percentage.
Kent State concludes opening weekend against host North Texas on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET. The Mean Green earned 3-0 victories against Nicholls, 3-0 and Northeastern in Friday's action.
UC Santa Barbara 3, Miami 2 – Boxscore
Cincinnati 3, Miami 2 – Boxscore
Game 1
OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University volleyball team battled back-and-forth with UC Santa Barbara through five sets at the Miami Best Western Sycamore Inn Invitational on Saturday morning, but the RedHawks ultimately dropped a 2-3 (22-25, 25-22, 25-18, 21-25, 12-15) decision. Miami falls to 1-1 on the season, while the Gauchos improve to 1-1. Senior outside hitter Stela Kukoc led the RedHawk attack with a double-double of 14 kills and 14 digs.
Game 2
OXFORD, Ohio – Showing grit and determination defying the team's youth, the Miami University volleyball team knocked off Cincinnati 3-2 (25-23, 21-25, 15-25, 25-21, 15-12) to close play at the Miami Best Western Sycamore Inn Invitational. The RedHawks improve to 2-1 on the season, while the Bearcats fall to 2-1.
With Miami, Cincinnati and UC Santa Barbara each finishing the tournament with identical 2-1 records, tiebreakers were needed to determine the champion. The first tiebreaker was total sets won over the weekend. All three teams won eight sets. The second tiebreaker was total point differential for the weekend. UC Santa Barbara outscored its opponents by 19 points total, while Miami had an 18 point differential and Cincinnati 16. So by one point the Gauchos were the 2018 Miami Best Western Sycamore Inn Invitational champions with the RedHawks coming in second.
Senior outside hitter Stela Kukoc and junior middle hitter Margaret Paynewere each named to the All-Tournament Team for their performances over the weekend. Payne led Miami with 35 kills on the weekend, an average of 2.69 kills per set. She made only seven attack errors in 66 total attempts for a hitting percentage of .424. She also led Miami with nine total blocks. Kukoc finished with 26 kills, an average of 2.00 kills per set. She also had 34 digs, an average of 2.62 per set.
In the match versus Cincinnati, the RedHawks fell behind 1-4 early in set one. A kill by Payne and a block from freshman middle hitter Corinne Jemisonand freshman Gaby Harper started a 7-3 run that gave Miami an 8-7 lead. Kukoc put down two kills, while Harper and junior right side hitter Haley Stewart each had one as the score remained within one point over the next part of the set. Tied at 15, UC went on a 3-0 run to take control, but a 4-1 answer by the 'Hawks tied it at 19. Trailing 20-22, a kill from Payne, a setting error by Cincinnati, a kill from Harper off an assist from sophomore setter Morgan Seaman and a service ace by Stewart gave Miami set point. The Bearcats fought it off once, but a kill from Payne finished off a 25-23 win.
Set two started off strongly for the RedHawks as Payne put down two kills, while Jemison and sophomore outside hitter Sarah Wojick teamed up for two blocks to build a 5-2 lead. The Bearcats would tie the score at seven before Miami pushed it back to two and 10-8 after a Kukoc service ace. Cincinnati followed with a 10-5 run to go in front 18-15. The Red and White would get as close as two points but the Bearcats were able to finish off a 25-21 victory.
A slow start for Miami would end up costing it in set three. UC jumped to a 9-3 lead forcing an early RedHawk timeout. Out of the break Wojick put down a pair of kills, but the teams continued to trade side outs. In front 15-10, Cincinnati went on a 6-3 run that put it in control at 21-13. That proved to be enough as the Bearcats took a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-15 win.
With their backs against the wall the RedHawks came out on the attack in set four. A service ace by Kukoc and a kill from Stewart, along with several UC attack errors gave Miami a 7-2 lead. The Bearcats fought back to tie the score with the next five points, but Harper would give the advantage back to Miami with two straight service aces. A kill from Payne and a service ace by Kukoc forced a Cincinnati timeout at 17-12, but out of the break back-to-back kills from Harper and Payne gave the 'Hawks their largest lead at 19-12. The Bearcats did not give up, going on a 9-4 run to close within two at 21-23. Miami answered with a kill by senior middle hitter Courtney Simons off an assist from freshman setter Jennifer Schulze to get set point, and it finished off the 25-21 victory with a kill from Stewart.
Trailing 1-2 in the decisive fifth set, two kills from Payne and one from Harper were part of a 4-0 run that forced a UC timeout. The Bearcats were able to close within one at 6-7 before a kill by Simons got Miami's offense going again. Two kills from Kukoc pushed the 'Hawks advantage to 11-8. Cincinnati scored the next two to make it 10-11 and force a MU timeout. Out of the break, Stewart put down the kill to get the side out. The teams traded side outs for the next six points, ending with a Payne kill that gave Miami match point. On the next point Wojick was able to put it down after a long rally giving the RedHawks a 15-12 win and a 3-2 victory in the match.
Payne finished with 14 kills for the match and a .480 attack percentage. Wojick also had double-digit kills with 11, finishing with a .600 attack percentage. Stewart and Kukoc each had eight kills. Kukoc also contributed 14 digs. Seaman had a double-double with 23 assists and a team-high 18 digs. Schulze was right behind her with 22 assists. Jemison led Miami with five blocks.
The RedHawks hit the road for the first time this season when they travel to Carbondale, Illinois next weekend for the Saluki Invitational. On Friday, Miami will take on Murray State at 2 p.m. (EDT) and host Southern Illinois at 8 p.m. (EDT). The Red and White will close out play on Saturday against Alabama A&M at 1 p.m. (EDT).
Xavier 3, Northern Illinois 1 -- Boxscore
Oklahoma 3, Northern Illinois 1 – Boxscore
DEKALB, Ill. – Senior middle blocker Meg Wolowicz (Manitowoc, Wis.) was named to the NIU Invitational All-Tournament Team on Saturday as the Northern Illinois University volleyball team wrapped up its first tournament of the season with a pair of four-set defeats to Xavier and Oklahoma at Victor E. Court.
Wolowicz led NIU with 3.77 kills per set and a .240 hitting percentage. In NIU's first match of the day Saturday against Xavier, Wolowicz had a career-high 24 kills and hit .296. Wolowicz and Jori Radtke (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) each had a team-high nine kills for NIU against the Sooners. Jasmine Kemp (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb) led the Huskies with seven blocks as Amanda Rullan Vilanova (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Savannah State) had six of her own. Miranda Karlen (Evansville, Wis./Evansville) paced the backrow defense with 18 digs.
"We learned a lot over the weekend," said head coach Ray Gooden following Saturday night's match against Oklahoma. "We have moments where we do some pretty good things. Now it's a matter of doing it consistently for a longer period of time."
Oklahoma (3-0) got off to a fast start Saturday night, taking a 7-2 lead on back-to-back kills by Brianna Kadiku and Alyssa Enneking. NIU got back within one at 8-7 on a Radtke kill and an ace from Amanda Krahl (Pearland, Texas/Appalachian State). The Huskies trailed 12-10 when Oklahoma went on an 8-3 run, capped by an Enneking ace, to take its largest lead of the set at 20-13. The Sooners took the set 25-19 on a kill by Sarah Sanders.
NIU (0-3) and Oklahoma traded points to open the second set, playing to a 5-5 tie. The Sooners took a 10-8 lead on a Paige Anderson kill, but the Huskies responded. Sparked by consecutive Kemp kills, NIU went on a 7-0 run to take a 15-10 lead. The lead grew to six at 18-12 on a Wolowicz ace, and seven at 20-13 with a Radtke kill. The Huskies evened the match with a 25-17 win in the second as a Wolowicz kill punctuated the set.
"I thought we did a nice job of slowing them down in the front row and picking up balls in the back row," said Gooden. "They forced us out of our style of volleyball, and I thought we recovered pretty nicely to win that second set."
Oklahoma bounced back in the third set to take it 25-15. The Sooners hit .355 in the frame after NIU held them to a .022 mark in the second. A Sarah Sanders kill kickstarted a 6-1 run for Oklahoma that put the Sooners ahead 18-11. Oklahoma opened the fourth set on a 6-2 run, eventually growing the lead to seven at 12-5 on a Kadiku block. NIU got as close as five late in the set when an Autumn Martin kill (Tyrone, Ga./FIU) made the score 23-18. However, the Sooners took the set 25-20 on a block by Kadiku and Sarah Maras and the match 3-1.
The Huskies opened the day against the Xavier Musketeers. Xavier (1-1) opened the match on a 5-2 run but NIU would stay within reach. Kills by Wolowicz and Kemp tied the set at 13-13. The two teams traded points up to 16-16 when the Musketeers got a kill from Norah Painter and an NIU error to take an 18-16 lead. The Huskies then charged past Xavier, taking seven of the next eight points as back-to-back Wolowicz kills put NIU up 23-19. A block by Kemp and Wallace gave the Huskies the first set 25-20.
NIU took an 8-4 lead to start the second set behind kills from Radtke, Wolowicz, Wallace, and Kemp. The Huskies led 13-11 when Xavier went on a 9-2 run, capped by a Meredith Klare kill, to take a 20-15 lead. NIU got within two points twice, but kills by Audrey Adams and Jayda Carlton gave Xavier the second set 25-22 and tied the match at 1-1. The Huskies once again got off to a strong start in the third set, as three straight kills by Radtke, Wolowicz, and Kennedy Wallace (Kansas City, Kan./Piper) put NIU ahead 12-7. Xavier chipped away at the Huskies' advantage, eventually tying the set at 18-18. With the set tied at 19-19, the Musketeers took six of the last seven points as kills by Adams and Laura Grossman clinched the set for Xavier 25-20 and a 2-1 lead.
The Huskies took the first four points of the fourth set on their way to a 7-3 lead. Xavier battled back to tie the set 8-8 on a Grossman kill. Xavier broke a 14-14 tie with four straight points, capped by a Carlton kill, to take an 18-14 lead. The Musketeers grew their lead to seven at 23-16 on a Moriah Hopkins kill, and took the set 25-18 and the match 3-1 on a Grossman kill.
Xavier hit .344 against the Huskies and held NIU to a .220 hitting percentage. Wolowicz led all players with a career-high 24 kills, hitting .296. Radtke had a double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs. Grace Balensiefer (Lafayette, Ind./McCutcheon) also had a double-double, dishing out 28 assists to go with 11 digs.
The Huskies continue their season-opening homestand on Tuesday, Aug. 28 when Milwaukee comes to Victor E. Court for a 6 p.m. match.
Ohio State 3, Ohio 0 -- Boxscore
Ohio 3, Albany 1 – Boxscore
Game 1
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio volleyball team (0-2) suffered a 3-0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-11) loss to tournament host Ohio State (2-0) today in the second match of the Sports Imports Classic for both squads at St. John's Arena. The Buckeyes hit .438 (43 kills-eight errors-80 total attacks) for the match while limiting the Bobcats to a .148 (26 kills-14 errors-81 total attacks) hitting percentage. Ohio was also plagued by nine service errors, four reception errors, three blocking errors and one ball handling error. Ohio State rolled to an 11-point victory in the opening set, hitting .636 with 15 kills and just one attack error.
Game 2
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio volleyball team (1-2) picked up its first victory of the 2018 season, knocking off reigning America East Conference regular season champion Albany (0-3), 3-1 (20-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-18), this evening in its final match of the Sports Imports Classic at St. John Arena.
The Bobcats placed third in the season-opening tournament hosted by Ohio State. Ohio dropped a 3-1 (24-26, 25-18, 25-17, 25-16) decision to Texas A&M on Friday (Aug. 24), then fell to the host Buckeyes, 3-0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-11), earlier this afternoon.
The night began with Ohio suffering a seventh-straight set loss as the Great Danes produced a five-point victory. The Bobcats went up 4-2 after a double block by junior middle blocker Sara Januszewski (Oak Creek, Wis.) and junior outside hitter Lizzie Stephens (Dallas, Texas), a kill by sophomore setter Vera Giacomazzi (San Vendemiano, Italy) and a double block by Stephens and sophomore middle blocker Tia Jimerson (Sugar Hill, Ga.). Albany flipped the script, though, with a 13-4 run that was punctuated by a kill by junior middle blocker Courtney O'Connell. The Bobcats answered with a 10-4 run that made it a one-point set at 19-18. Ohio took advantage of five attack errors and a service error by Albany and back-to-back kills by Stephens to cap off the stretch. A kill by redshirt senior outside hitter Jaime Kosiorek (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) cut Ohio's deficit back to two at 22-20, but another kill by Kelly, an attack error by the Bobcats and a service ace by sophomore middle blocker Danielle Tedesco vaulted Albany to the 1-0 match lead.
The Bobcats were on the brink of falling behind 2-0 in the match but scrapped their way to a critical two-point win in the second set to even things up. Albany broke up a 10-all tie by going on a 6-3 run, taking advantage of a kill and a solo block by Tedesco as well as two service errors and two attack errors by Ohio. Ohio swung the momentum back by scoring seven of the next nine points to snatch a 20-18 lead. Back-to-back service aces by sophomore libero/defensive specialist Macy Reihing (Lexington, Ky.), two kills by Stephens and another by Stephens highlighted the run for the Bobcats. The Great Danes grabbed the lead back, 21-20, thanks to kills by O'Connell, redshirt junior middle blocker Akuabata Okenwa and Tedesco. Another kill by Kosiorek, a double block by Kosiorek and Januszewski and an Albany service error put Ohio back in front by one, but an Ohio service error allowed the Great Danes to tie it back up at 23-all. The Bobcats finally put the set away, though, using a kill by redshirt senior right side hitter Katie Nelson (Regina, Saskatchewan) and an Albany attack error to even the match up at one-all.
Albany took a 7-6 edge in the third set by way of a kill by sophomore outside hitter Tatiana Tiangco, but it marked the final time the Great Danes held a lead in the match. Ohio scored 10 of the next 15 points, utilizing a kill by Nelson, a service ace by Reihing, a pair of double blocks by Jimerson and Nelson, two kills by Jimerson and three more by Kosiorek. Albany responded with a 5-1 run to tie things up at 17-all, but Ohio took a 2-1 match lead by closing the third set out on an 8-2 run. Four kills by Jimerson and another by Nelson paved the way to victory for the Bobcats.
Ohio raced out to an 8-1 lead to start the fourth set and never looked back en route to a seven-point win that locked up their first match victory of the season. Stephens produced three kills, Jimerson added another and double blocks by Stephens and Jimerson and Jimerson and Giacomazzi set the tone in the early going. The Bobcats maintained a seven-point lead at 15-8 thanks to another kill by Jimerson, a kill and a service ace by Kosiorek, a service ace by Giacomazzi and three kills by redshirt junior middle blocker Simone Miller (Kalamazoo, Mich.). A service ace by freshman outside hitter Grace Cozad and a kill by Tiangco made it a four-point set, but Ohio grew its lead to 10 by scoring seven of the next eight-points -- including a stretch of five in a row highlighted by a service ace by Stephens and back-to-back kills by Kosiorek. The Great Danes strung together a 6-2 run to make it a six-point set, but freshman outside hitter Ila Angermeier (Kirtland, Ohio) put Albany away with her second kill of the set.
"Albany came out strong, earning the win in the first set as they did against Ohio State and Texas A&M," said fifth-year head coach Deane Webb. "They are a scrappy defensive team, and we weren't as disciplined as we needed to be early in the match. We settled into a good rhythm in serve receive after the first set, and our offensive output increased when that happened. We have a great deal of work to do so that we can become the serve receive and offensive team we want to be this year."
Jimerson paced the Ohio attack, finishing with a match-high 16 kills and five assisted blocks. Kosiorek tallied 13 kills for the Bobcats. Stephens just missed out on her first double-double of the year with 12 kills and nine digs. She hit .476 for the match and also added three assisted blocks and a service ace. Reihing led Ohio with three service aces, matching her career high, and also led the match with 19 digs. Giacomazzi dished out a match-high 49 assists. She represented Ohio on the All-Sports Imports Classic Team after finishing the weekend with 94 assists (8.55 per set).
Albany was led by Tiangco, who posted 10 kills. Kelly finished with a team-high three service aces and a team-high 22 assists. Tedesco recorded a team-high three total blocks (two solo, one assisted) for the Great Danes. Senior libero Nicole Otero compiled a team-high 12 digs.
The Bobcats' travels will take them to Lincoln, Neb., for the second weekend of the season to play in the Ameritas Players Challenge next weekend (Aug. 31-Sept. 1). Ohio will be tested immediately when it meets Nebraska in the opening match of the tournament. The Cornhuskers captured their second national championship in the last three years and fifth in program history last year, going 32-4 overall and 19-1 in Big Ten Conference play before punctuating six-straight wins in the NCAA Championship with a 3-1 triumph over Florida in the national title match. Ohio will wrap up the first day of the Ameritas Players Challenge with a contest against Santa Clara. The Bobcats will be playing the Broncos, who ranked No. 94 in the RPI last year, for the first time. Ohio's trip to Lincoln concludes with a matchup with Wake Forest the following day. The Bobcats face the Demon Deacons for the second year in a row and will be looking to avenge a 3-1 loss last September at the Penn State Classic.
Notre Dame 3, Toledo 0 -- Boxscore
Weber State 3, Toledo 1 – Boxscore
Game 1
South Bend, Ind.— Toledo faced Golden Dome Invitational host Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon and fell 3-0. The Rockets will play Weber State at 4:30 p.m. to conclude their opening weekend tournament in South Bend.
The Fighting Irish won the first two matches with relative ease, but Toledo fought back in set three. After taking a large early lead it appeared the Rockets would be staging another comeback like they did the night before, but UND stormed back and won the third set to complete the sweep.
Chloee Kleespies and Emma Swope each tallied six kills on the day to share the team lead. Kleespies hit a team-best .357 and registered a four blocks as well. Maurissa Leonard had a match-high 22 digs and is now just 52 digs away from breaking the program's career digs record (Lora Sarich, 2003-06).
Game 2
South Bend, Ind.— Toledo's weekend at the Golden Dome Invitational ended with a 3-1 loss to Weber State on Saturday evening.
The Wildcats won the first two sets by the same score, 25-18, before UT won a back-and-forth third set, 28-26. Despite hanging around for much of set four, the Rockets would drop that frame 25-22.
Chloee Kleespies tallied a match-high 16 kills to give her 38 for the weekend. Caleigh Barhorst and Zoe Birnbrich were next with nine kills apiece, and Birnbrich added three blocks as well. Maddie Fogg was credited for 45 sets and 12 digs, her second double-double of the tournament. Maurissa Leonard added 27 digs to give her 80 for the weekend, putting her just 16 away from setting the new all-time dig record at Toledo.
Next up for the Rockets is a tournament at Bradley next weekend during which UT will play the Braves, George Washington, and Western Illinois.
Western Michigan 3, South Dakota State 1
Boxscore
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Western Michigan volleyball earned its first victory of the season on day two of the UMKC Invitational, defeating South Dakota State in four sets (25-21, 25-20, 24-26, 25-21).
For the third straight game the Broncos were led by sophomore Rachel Bontrager who collected her first double-double of the season with 20 kills and 10 digs. Bontrager was dominant serving the ball as well, earning a team-high three service aces. Over the weekend the Preseason All-MAC West selection registered 48 kills averaging 4.36 kills per set. For his weekend performance, Bontrager was named to the UMKC Invitational All-Tournament team.
Senior Mary Murphy also earned her first double-double of the season recording 45 assists and 13 digs. Murphy with 91 assists in the three games moved into fourth all-time at Western Michigan in career assists with 3,482.
Against the Jackrabbits, WMU had a .263 attack percentage along with six service aces and 12 blocks. Junior Willow Martin reached double digit kills for the first time in 2018 notching 13 kills while hitting a staggering .444.
Earning their first victory of the season the Broncos now have an overall record of 1-2. WMU hosts Chicago State in its home opener on Tuesday, Aug. 28 with first serve set for 7:00 p.m.
In the first set, the Broncos quickly jumped out to an 8-4 lead highlighted by a 6-0 run with kills from Bontrager, Martin and freshman Sammi Labolle. Later in the set, the Bronco lead was cut to three before Bontrager registered her fourth kill of the set to end the SDSU run. WMU earned the 25-21 set victory after Bontrager collected her fifth and final kill of the first.
It was all Western Michigan in the second set as the Brown & Gold held SDSU to a .077 attack percentage en route to a 25-20 set win and a 2-0 lead in the match. The Jackrabbits held a 12-10 advantage early before the Broncos quickly regained the lead, scoring 10 of the next 11 points. SDSU responded with their own 6-0 run to cut the lead down to two before two kills from Willow Martin and sophomore Jordan White ended the comeback chance.
South Dakota State jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in the third set with two points coming off of service aces. In a back and forth affair throughout the entire set the Broncos rallied back late to tie the match at 24-24. However, the Jackrabbits closed out the third with a kill by Sierra Peterson followed by a service ace by Makenzie Hennen.
The Broncos ran away with the fourth set as Bontrager led the charge with seven kills en route to the 25-21 set victory. WMU never trailed in the fourth set and quickly earned a 12-5 advantage after a kill by Martin forced SDSU to call a timeout. The Jackrabbits got to within two late in the set before a 3-0 run by the Broncos ended the set and the match.
