Courtesy of MAC Sport Information Departments
Akron 3, Bryant 1
Box Score
Akron volleyball picked up its first win of the season against Bryant on the final day of the Homewood Suites Fort Myers Classic. The Zips struggled early, but eventually found their groove, beating the Bulldogs, 3-1 (16-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-16).
With the win, Akron improves to 1-2.
"We did a nice job bouncing back off of our Saturday losses and a slow start today. Shelby Fulmer and Elya Karsner did a great job coming off the bench to help us turn things around" said coach Tom Hanna.
Leading the way offensively for the Zips were seniors Elya Karsner (Frankfort, Ky.), and Ashley Richardson (Doylestown, Ohio), who finished with 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Junior Emily Weigand (Burton, Ohio) contributed as well, dishing out 36 assists and adding 4 kills. Defensively, junior Taylor Sharritsfinished with 18 digs, while freshman Lauren Latka (Zionsville, Ind.) added another 15.
The first set saw back and forth scoring early. A kill by junior Jen Durra(Painesville, Ohio) knotted the score at 6.
A three and six-point run by Bryant put them up 15-7, and caused Akron to call both their timeouts in that span. From there, the Bulldogs would maintain their lead for the remainder of the set, beating the Zips 25-16.
The Zips responded well, once again tying the game at 6, thanks to an attack error by Bryant. A kill by Hannah Yaconis (Batavia, Ill.) gave the Zips their first lead of the match, 7-6.
The Bulldogs went on to score five of the next six points, forcing Akron to call its first timeout of the set.
Out of the timeout, the Zips came out firing. A kill by Richardson woke up the Zips offense, as they'd go on to score 13 of the next 16 points, capped off with a kill by Karsner.
With Bryant now down 22-15 and out of timeouts, the Zips kept its foot on the gas and went on to win the set, 25-20.
In the third set, the Zips struggled to find its groove early, finding itself down 10-3. They would, however, not give up in the slightest, slowly decreasing the deficit and eventually tying the game at 18, forcing Bryant to call its second timeout the set.
Out of the timeout, the Zips capped off a five-point run thanks to kills by junior Shelby Fulmer (Perrysburg, Ohio) and Yaconis, putting the Zips ahead, 20-18.
With Akron five points away from winning the set, the Bulldogs fought back, scoring on four of the next five points and re-taking the lead, 22-21. From there, the Zips' resilient offense rallied to score four straight points, capped off with a set error by Bryant, resulting in Akron taking the third set, 25-22.
In the fourth set, the Zips started slow, but six and seven-point runs in the heart of the set put them up, 22-11. Akron held strong, and went on to take the set and ultimately win the match, 3-1.
Sharrits was named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 3.92 digs per set over the weekend.
"Taylor was a steady passer for us all weekend on top of playing solid defense for us" said coach Tom Hanna
Akron heads to Cincinnati, Ohio next Friday, Sept. 6 to compete in the Xavier Tournament.
Bowling Green 2, LaSalle 3 // Box Score
Bowling Green 1, Notre Dame 3 // Box Score
The Bowling Green State University volleyball program fell in both of their games on Saturday at the conclusion of the Golden Dome Invitational. Bowling Green and La Salle needed five sets to settle the score with the Explorers taking the last set. Against Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish captured a 3-1 win.
Set Scores v. La Salle
Set 1 - La Salle 27, Bowling Green 25
Set 2 - Bowling Green 25, La Salle 22
Set 3 - Bowling Green 25, La Salle 20
Set 4 - La Salle 25, Bowling Green 15
Set 5 - La Salle 15, Bowling Green 12
Set Scores v. Notre Dame
Set 1 - Notre Dame 25, Bowling Green 19
Set 2 - Notre Dame 25, Bowling Green 14
Set 3 - Bowling Green 25, Notre Dame 21
Set 4 - Notre Dame 25, Bowling Green 9
Golden Dome Invitational All-Tournament Team Members
Bowling Green saw two members named to the All-Tournament team following the game. Both Katelyn Meyer and Julia Walz were recognized for their play over the two days.
Meyer led the Falcons in kills in two of their three matches, setting a tournament high against Wright State with 18.
Walz was at the forefront of the digs department for the Orange and Brown, totaling 78 digs over the course of the three matches.
Play-By-Play Notes
v. La Salle
After falling behind in the first set, 4-3, the Falcons went on a 6-0 run to force a timeout by La Salle, taking a 9-4 lead.
The Explorers fought back to a 24-24 tie with La Salle producing a 3-0 run to close the first set with a 27-25 final.
The second set was as close as the first with both teams taking various leads, leading to a 10-10 tie early in the set, turning to a 13-13 tie as well.
Bowling Green fell slightly behind in the second set, but a 4-0 run put them ahead of La Salle with the score at 19-18.
The Falcons saw another 3-0 run to close out the second set to even the match score at 1-1.
In a game of runs, the Orange and Brown were on the right side of a 4-0 run in the third set, taking a 5-2 lead.
The fifth and final set was tight the whole way with neither team gaining a significant lead, remaining tied at 12 before the Explorers ended with the win.
v. Notre Dame
The match with Notre Dame began as close as the La Salle match, seeing ties deep into the set with both teams claiming various leads and the final tie being at 17-17.
After the Fighting Irish claimed the second set, the Falcons returned to form in the third, taking another tie deep into the set. Seeing a 12-12 tie, BGSU went on a 5-0 run to take a 17-12 lead before claiming the set.
The Falcons survived in the third set to force a fourth despite a late push by the Fighting Irish.
Strong Individual Performances
v. La Salle
Freshman Petra Indrova led the Falcons in kills, registering 18 over the course of the match, including a .571 hitting percentage.
For the second consecutive match, Jacqueline Askin matched her career high in kills with 11.
After logging 36 assists on Friday, Isabelle Marciniak upped her total to 48 against La Salle, leading the team.
With 31 digs, Walz once again set a single game high for her career while also already surpassing her highest season total in the category, with 57 across the first two matches.
As for blocks, Katie Kidwell led the Falcons, tallying seven total blocks in the match against the Explorers.
v. Notre Dame
Indrova and Meyer each logged nine kills in the match for the Falcons.
Marciniak once again led the team in assists, registering 25 in the contest.
For digs, BGSU was paced by Walz with 21, having the most in all three matches of the Golden Dome Invitational.
Buffalo 3, Marist 0
Box Score
The University at Buffalo volleyball team picked up its first win of 2019 on Saturday evening as the Bulls swept Marist, 3-0. The victory was the first for new UB head coach Scott Smith.
The Bulls took the match 25-19, 25-20, 25-10 as UB hit .377 for the night, compared to just .111 for Marist. Buffalo dominated nearly every category, including a 13-1 edge in total blocks.
Redshirt sophomore Monika Simkova made her Buffalo debut and she didn't disappoint, as the Long Beach State transfer recorded four kills and four blocks in the opening set. A kill by senior Kristina Nieves opened up an early 7-3 lead before Marist came back to tie it at 12-12. From there, Buffalo went on a 5-1 run as another kill by Nieves opened up the 17-13 advantage. The Bulls clinched the set with a double block coming from the transfer duo of Simkova and junior Lexi Nordmann, who played her first two years at SMU. The Bulls went on to take the set, 25-19.
In the second set, Buffalo led just 9-8 when the Bulls scored four straight as a kill from senior Rachel Sanks extended the lead to 13-8. UB continued to lead by five at 21-16 before Marist cut the lead to two. With Buffalo leading just 22-20, the Bulls scored the final three points to take the second 25-20.
The Bulls dominated the third set, as UB recorded 7.0 blocks in the final set alone, forcing Marist to hit -.250. UB raced out to the 11-4 advantage and was never challenged. Leading 11-6, Buffalo scored seven straight points, including a pair of aces from freshman Jenna Sonnenberg. Three more points in the rally all came from the block of Nieves and senior setter Scout McLerran. With the Bulls dominating defensively at the net it was only fitting that UB would clinch the match on a block from Sanks and freshman Abby Leigh.
"It feels great to win," said head coach Scott Smith. "We executed really well tonight and we limited our errors. This group responded well after a tough one last night and we are excited to get back out there and play a good Colgate team tomorrow."
Prokudina led the Bulls with 12 kills, while Sanks had nine kills and just two errors as she hit .500 for the night. Nieves finished with seven kills and just one error, hitting .600, while Simkova added six kills and no errors on 12 total swings. McLerran ran the offense well as she had 32 assists, to go along with two service aces and four blocks.
UB finished with six aces as a team led by the two apiece from McLerran and Sonnenberg. Simkova and sophomore Paige Beck each added one. Beck also led all players with 11 digs on the night.
Nieves finished with six blocks, including a solo, while Simkova had five and Nordmann and McLerran each added four. Playing in just the third set, Leigh still finished with three blocks.
Tonight's match was the only one on the day to not go five sets. Alabama defeated Colgate in the first match of the day 3-2, while Colgate then came back to defeat Marist, 3-2. With its win, Alabama completed a perfect 3-0 weekend.
Buffalo and Colgate will close out the UB Invite on Sunday morning at 10 am.
Central Michigan 3, Saint Peter's 0 // Box Score
Central Michigan 3, NJIT 0 // Box Score
The Central Michigan volleyball team defeated NJIT and Saint Peter's, both in straight sets, on Saturday to complete a perfect 3-0 run through the season-opening St. Francis Brooklyn Terrier Classic.
CMU's Maddie Whitfield and Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez were named to the all-tournament team. Whitfield led CMU with 30 kills in the tournament, while Rosario-Martinez was next with 18.
Whitfield, a sophomore middle blocker, attacked at a remarkable .551 pace, while Rosario-Martinz, a native of the Dominican Republic, finished at .394 and collected a team-best eight aces in the Chippewas' three matches.
"Confidence is high, we're playing at a high level, and I think that even in the locker room, or even in the meeting room after the games, there are some things that we have to get better at," CMU coach Mike Gawlik said. "That's what the first weekend is about. It's to identify where you're strong and identify where you need to be better.
"I don't think we were perfect this weekend and I didn't expect to be perfect. … We try to define ourselves through our improvement, not necessarily whether we win or not."
Vs. Saint Peter's
CMU, which opened the tournament with a four-set victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Friday, downed Saint Peter's 25-14, 25-21, 25-13 on Saturday morning.
Sierra Gray led the Chippewas with 10 kills, while Anna Erickson had nine and Meg Siversten had eight. Meg Kern led the Chippewas' defense with 17 digs, and setter Kendall Braate posted 40 assists.
"I thought this was a really good, full-team win," Gawlik said. "We got a lot of people some opportunities to step up and contribute. I think that's important when you're playing a long season because everybody has a little bit of an opportunity to step out on the floor and compete for the program. So even athletes who don't see a lot of starting action get the reps they need to be successful when their number is called in a more pressure situation."
Vs. NJIT
CMU closed with a 25-12, 25-20, 25-19 win over NJIT to complete their second 3-0 start in Gawlik's four years in charge of the program.
Maddie Whitfield had 16 kills in 20 attempts, giving her a sensational .800 hitting percentage, to lead CMU at the net. Kern finished with 17 digs, while Braate posted 38.
"I thought this was similar to our match against Saint Peter's, not quite the exact same, but we had an opportunity to play everybody on our roster at some point," Gawlik said. "When you're in a situation where you can use your entire roster to contribute to a victory, it feels really good. It gives them justification for why they're on the squad and they can help us achieve our objectives."
Eastern Michigan 1, Xavier 3
Box Score
The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team closed out its time at the Utah State Tournament with a 3-1 loss to Xavier University Saturday, Aug. 31.
Junior Franki Strefling (Niles, Mich.-Buchanan) once again led the way for the Eagles (1-2), registering a double-double with season-high 17 kills and 10 digs. Redshirt senior Cassie Haut (Monroe, Mich.-St. Mary Catholic Central) finished the match with 16 kills and an eye-popping .500 attack percentage, while sophomore Julia Fisher (Kailua, Hawaii-Le Jardin Academy) notched a career-high 12 kills.
After falling easily in the first set, 12-25, the Eagles came back to make the second set closer, but ultimately fell 20-25. The third set turned into the longest set of the 2019 campaign, with Eastern prevailing 31-29. EMU's comeback fell short, however, as Xavier set the Green and White aside, 22-25, in the fourth set.
Senior setter Riley Taylor (Indianapolis, Ind.-Perry Meridian) served as the primary distributor for the Eagles, finishing with 27 assists to go along with 13 digs. Sophomore setter Mackenzie Garis (Crystal Lake, Ill.-Prairie Ridge) set a new career-high with 18 assists and added seven digs.
Overall, the Musketeers outhit the Eagles .333 to .238, while EMU out-blocked XU, eight to seven.
Eastern jumps one time zone closer in its second week of action for 2019, participating in the Sawyer Camillo Memorial Classic, hosted by the University of Louisiana. The Eagles kick off the event Friday, Sep. 6 at 11 a.m. CT by taking on Florida A&M, and wrap the day with a bout against the tournament host Ragin' Cajuns at 6:30 p.m. EMU's trip to the Bayou State finishes with a 10 a.m. CT showdown with fellow 2018 NCAA Tournament participant McNeese State.
Kent State 3, Gardner-Webb 0
Box Score
Kent State posted its best hitting percentage since 2015 in a 3-0 (25-11, 25-11, 25-17) victory over Gardner-Webb on Saturday morning.
The Golden Flashes, which concluded the opening weekend at the Charlotte Invitational with a 2-1 record, hit .347 as a team and had four players tally at least eight kills.
Redshirt freshman Jacqlyn Caspers had a match-high 10 kills and a .714 hitting percentage while adding five total blocks. Freshman Taylor Heberlerecorded nine kills in her first collegiate action, while sophomore Melissa Kolurbasi and freshman Savannah Matthews added eight kills apiece.
Redshirt sophomore Alex Haffner and junior Natalie Tagala split setting duties. Haffner had 22 assists and Tagala finished with 16 assists.
"This was a good finish to the tournament today," said head coach Don Gromala. "We executed really well with a different lineup. We went with 6-2 to get some people some different options. Melissa [Kolurbasi], Savannah [Matthews], and Jacqlyn [Caspers], particularly, had really good matches. That starts with our setting, and I thought our setters made some really good decisions".
Kent State held Gardner-Webb to a .021 hitting percentage and allowed just 22 kills.
Sophomore Erin Gardner led the defense with 23 digs. Matthews tallied seven digs with Haffner and Heberle right behind with six digs.
Freshman Savannah Matthews and sophomore Danie Tyson were named to the all-tournament team. Matthews led Kent State with 36 kills (3.60 per set) and was second with 33 digs (3.30 per set). Tyson added 22 kills (2.20 per set) and had a team-best .400 hitting percentage.
Kent State opens the home schedule next weekend when it hosts the 2019 Golden Flashes Classicfrom Sept. 6-7. The Flashes will welcome Valparaiso, Idaho State and Robert Morris to the M.A.C. Center for the two-day tournament.
"We have a big home weekend with some tough competition coming in," noted Gromala.
Miami 1, Northwestern 3
Box Score
The Miami University volleyball team captured the first set against Northwestern in the championship match of the Miami Best Western Sycamore Invitational, but ultimately dropped a 1-3 (26-24, 16-25, 20-25, 23-25) decision to the Wildcats. The RedHawks are now 2-1 on the season, while Northwestern improves to 3-0.
After the match, senior middle hitter Margaret Payneand junior setter Morgan Seaman were each named to the All-Tournament Team. Payne led the RedHawks with 13 kills against Northwestern and had 31 kills over the weekend. Seaman set well in all three matches, finishing with 58 assist and 11 digs.
Kills from Payne and junior middle hitter Avarie Powell helped Miami open up a 6-2 lead to begin set one. The Wildcats tied the score at 10, but kills from Payne and senior outside hitter Taylor Daignault, along with a block by Powell and junior right side hitter Sarah Wojick put the RedHawks on top, 14-11. After trading some side outs, a kill from sophomore outside hitter Gaby Harper and a service ace by Wojick started a 6-2 run that gave Miami its largest lead at 20-14. Northwestern answered with a 9-3 run to tie the score at 23. A kill from freshman outside hitter Allyson Severance off an assist from sophomore setter Louise Comerford gave the 'Hawks set point, but the Wildcats fought it off. Harper then put back-to-back kills down to give Miami a 26-24 win.
The teams traded points to open set two. Tied at eight, a 4-1 Northwestern lead put it on top, 12-9. A kill from Harper helped pull Miami within one at 12-13, but the Wildcats scored eight in a row to take control at 21-12. Powell was able to get a couple of blocks, but Northwestern finished off a 25-16 victory.
Northwestern jumped to an 8-3 lead to begin set three. A 5-1 run by the RedHawks featuring kills from Harper, Wojick and sophomore outside hitter Sophie Riemersma cut the deficit to one at 8-9. Northwestern responded with a 7-2 run to take control at 16-10. Two kills from Wojick and a service ace by Daignault got Miami as close as three points at 14-17, but the Red and White could not get any closer as the Wildcats took a 25-20 win.
Despite three kills from freshman outside hitter Lindsay Taylor, Miami trailed 5-6 to begin set four. Payne put down two kills and Riemersma had one off an assist from Seaman to put the 'Hawks on top, 9-8. Northwestern built a 14-10 lead, but Miami fought back to eventually tie the score at 19. The teams traded points until the score was tied at 22. The RedHawks appeared to take the lead on the next point, but a replay reversal gave it to the Wildcats. Trailing 22-24, a kill from Payne fought off one match point before a block gave Northwestern a 25-23 win and a 3-1 victory in the match.
Harper put down nine kills, while Riemersma had eight. Comerford finished with a double-double of 21 assists and 10 digs. Daignault led the RedHawks with 14 digs.
Miami returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Dayton at 7 p.m. The match will air live on ESPN+.
Northern Illinois 3, UC Riverside 2
Box Score
Led by a career-high 21 kills from junior Kennedy Wallace (Kansas City, Kan./Piper), the Northern Illinois University volleyball team closed the NIU Invitational with a 3-2 (27-25, 17-25, 28-26, 16-25, 15-13) win over the UC Riverside Highlanders at Victor E. Court.
Wallace's previous career-high for kills was 11 set last season against Georgia Tech. She hit .417 in the match with a team-high three blocks. Kaitlyn Bell (De Soto, Kan./De Soto) earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team after putting down 16 kills and hitting .375. NIU had four players in double-digit kills Saturday. Brinley Milbrath (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/John F. Kennedy) had 12 kills with Peyton Tilly(Barrington, Ill./Barrington) adding 10.
NIU (2-1) battled to win each of their three sets, winning each by two points. The Huskies broke a 14-14 tie in the opening set with a 7-2 run capped by a pair of Milbrath kills to go up 21-16. UC Riverside came back with a 7-1 run highlighted by back-to-back Ashley Dittmann kills to take a 23-22 lead. The Huskies fought off two set points and got a pair of Tilly kills to take the opening set 27-25.
UC Riverside (2-1) leveled the match at a set apiece with a 25-17 win in the second set. The Highlanders hit .400 in the second led by five kills from Alexis Vanlandingham. NIU had to rally from three points down in the third to tie it at 22 on a Wallace kill. The Huskies earned set point at 24-23 on another Wallace swing, but a service error tied the set at 24. The Highlanders then won two of the next three points to earn a set point opportunity at 26-25. Kills by Milbrath and Jasmine Kemp (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb) gave NIU another shot at winning the set at 27-26, and an UC Riverside error put NIU up 2-1 in the match with a 28-26 win in set three.
The Highlanders' offense came alive in the fourth set. UC Riverside hit .406 with one error to win it 25-16 and force a deciding fifth set. The Huskies jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead in the fifth, getting kills from Bell and Wallace and a pair of UC Riverside errors. The Highlanders came back to tie the set 7-7 on a Dittmann kill. NIU responded with a block by Kemp and Milbrath and a Wallace kill to take a 9-7 lead. The Huskies led 10-8 when back-to-back kills by Vanlandingham and Dittmann tied the set at 10. After trading the next two points, Bell put down two straight kills to give NIU a 13-11 lead. Grace Balensiefer(Lafayette, Ind./McCutcheon) gave NIU match point with a kill at 14-12. After a service error, Bell put down the match-winning kill to give the Huskies the fifth set 15-13 and the match 3-2.
NIU hit .265 in the match to UC Riverside's .347. The Huskies held a 59-50 advantage in digs, led by Miranda Karlen's (Evansville, Wis./Evansville) 20. Balensiefer tied a career-high with 60 assists. Dittmann led all players with 23 kills.
Ohio 3, Northeastern 0
Box Score
The Ohio volleyball team (1-2) earned its first win of the season when the Bobcats swept Northeastern (1-2), 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-18), on Saturday afternoon in the final match of the Green Bay Invite.
"Our overall record wasn't what we had hoped for during the tournament, but I was happy to see our team fight back today and earn the win," head coach Deane Webb said. "We served and defended at a higher level today than yesterday, and we now shift our focus to a nationally ranked Purdue team that will present a very different level of physicality to us than what we normally see."
Senior outside hitter Lizzie Stephens (Dallas, Texas) tied a program record with nine aces in the three-set sweep. Former Ohio Bobcat Jamie Kosiorek also had nine aces against Buffalo in 2015. Stephens ended the match with a team-high 11 digs and put up three kills.
Junior opposite Maggie Nedoma (Brook Park, Ohio) led the way with seven kills and hit .375 on 16 swings. Graduate transfer middle blocker Shayla Phillip (Columbia, S.C.) had six kills. Freshman outside hitter Olivia Margolies (Galena, Ohio) had five kills and Redshirt sophomore middle blocker/opposite Dahlias Bouyer (Brownstown, Mich.) produced four. Stephens, junior setter Vera Giacomazzi (San Vendemiano, Italy) and junior opposite/middle blocker Sara Januszewski (Oak Creek, Wis.) produced three terminations each.
Giacomazzi dished out 23 assists and guided the team to 33 kills and a .262 attacking percentage. Giacomazzi added three digs and three kills on four swings.
After Stephens' 11 digs, senior defensive specialist Meredith Howe (Grand Rapids, Mich.) had seven scoops while junior libero Macy Reihing (Lexington, Ky.) had six. 11 players recorded at least one dig and 15 players saw the floor.
Ohio had 15 service aces in the three-set win. After Stephens' nine, Giacomazzi and sophomore setter Emily Walsh (Allen, Texas) each had two while Reihing and freshman defensive specialist Ciara Livingway (Lake Orion, Mich.) had one.
Ohio had seven team blocks, with Bouyer producing six (two solo, four assisted).
Overall, OU outkilled NU, 33-26 while the Huskies outdug the Bobcats, 37-36. The Bobcats held the Huskies to a .095 attacking percentage and NU had 18 errors.
Ohio will wrap up the weekend at No. 17 Purdue. First serve is set for 2 p.m. and can be watched live on Big Ten 2 Go.
Toledo 0, Western Kentucky 3 // Box Score
Toledo 3, Loyola Chicago 2 // Box Score
The University of Toledo women's volleyball team split its Saturday Blue and Gold Tournament matches, defeating Loyola in five sets after falling to Western Kentucky earlier in the day.
The five-set thriller against Loyola capped an exciting weekend of volleyball at Savage Arena. The Ramblers won the first and third sets handily, while the Rockets won sets two and four in close fashion. In the decisive fifth set, Toledo held on to win, 18-16, and capture its first win of 2019.
Senior Zoe Birnbrich led the way with 16 kills while hitting .343. Freshman Ryann Jaqua (11 kills, 16 digs) and junior Chloee Kleespies (11 kills, 12 digs) were two of the Rockets' biggest contributors, and freshman Olivia Vance added seven kills and seven blocks. Junior Rhyen Neal tallied a career-high 24 digs.
Toledo started the day by falling to Western Kentucky in three sets. Kleespies led the team with eight kills and seven digs, while Birnbrich added five terminations and three blocks. Sophomores Maddie Fogg and Elise Wilcox tallied four kills apiece, and Fogg was credited with 20 assists.
The Rockets will be on the road next weekend for a tournament hosted by Radford. Toledo will also face Norfolk State and Rider at the tournament.
Quotable: "I thought this was a good growth weekend for us. We played three quality teams and they brought out the good and bad in our team. We talk about earning everything with our players. We earned the bad and the good this weekend. Hopefully the positive results will give us confidence to train harder this next week and earn more positive results." –Head Coach Jason Oliver
Toledo 3, Loyola 2
Set 1
The Rockets were able to start the match off on the right foot, taking a 10-8 lead over the Ramblers to start the action. Loyola grabbed control of the set from that point on, rattling off 17 of the next 22 points to cruise to a 25-15 win. Loyola hit .276 in the first set to jump ahead of the Rockets, 1-0.
Set 2
The Ramblers looked to be in control in the second frame, leading 20-14 at one point. Toledo fought to pull within one, 23-22, but Loyola was able to push the Rockets to the brink and make the score 24-22. The Midnight Blue and Gold then scored the next four points to stun the Ramblers and win, 26-24, to tie the match at 1-1. Vance, Birnbrich, and Kleespies tallied the points for Toledo, with Kleespies registering the clinching block.
Set 3
Loyola hit .333 in the third set, which helped its cause in a 25-15 win that put the Rockets in a 2-1 hole in the match. The two teams started out tied at 7-7, but five straight Rambler points quickly put them ahead 12-7. They didn't look back en route to winning the third set and putting the Rockets on the ropes.
Set 4
The fourth set was a wild one, featuring 13 ties and seven lead changes. Loyola once again held a late lead over Toledo, sitting in front by a score of 19-16. The Rockets took the lead with four straight points, a stretch that culminated in clutch block from Jaqua and Vance to make the score 20-19. The Ramblers were able to inch their way back and push the Rockets to the brink, putting the score at 24-23 and one point away from a win. Toledo would not back down though, scoring four of the next five points to win, 27-25, and force a fifth set. Kleespies and Birnbrich tallied the tying and winning points, respectively. Birnbrich was huge in the fourth set, tallying five kills.
Set 5
Fittingly, the fifth set was a close one between Toledo and Loyola. The Rockets jumped out to a 4-1 lead to get the home crowd on its feet, but Loyola was able fight back and tie the set at 10-10. The Ramblers twice pushed the Rockets to a match point, at 14-13 and 15-14, but Toledo held firm each time. With the score tied at 16-16, Jaqua recorded her biggest kill of the night, and a Loyola attack error ended the match and gave the Rockets their first win of 2019.
Western Kentucky 3, Toledo 0
Set 1
The Hilltoppers came out firing to start the match, going on a 13-4 run to kick off action. After that point, Toledo was able to score four of the next five point to cut the deficit to six, but WKU surged ahead to take the first set, 25-13.
Set 2
The second set was the most competitive of the match for the Rockets. After falling behind, 6-3, Toledo scored six of the next seven points to take a 9-7 advantage. Birnbrich and Kleespies combined for a huge block to tie the score at 6-6, then Kleespies followed it up with a big swing for a kill to make it 7-6. Western Kentucky flipped the script with a 5-0 run to turn a two-point deficit into a three-point lead, putting the Rockets in a 12-9 hole. The Rockets hung around and got as close as two points, 20-18, but the Hilltoppers pulled away for a 25-19 win.
Set 3
The final set of the match was the most lopsided, with WKU coming out on top, 25-10. Toledo fell behind early, 9-1, and was unable to close the gap. Western Kentucky hit .571 in the final set to cap a 3-0 win over the Rockets.
Western Michigan 3, Northern Kentucky 2
Box Score
Western Michigan volleyball defeated Northern Kentucky in a thrilling five-set match (25-22, 25-23, 16-25, 23-25, 15-8) to claim the 2019 Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
The Broncos swept the weekend in Fort Wayne, Ind., defeating Northern Kentucky along with South Alabama and host school Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday. It's the first time the Broncos have begun a season 3-0 since 2011.
Against the Norse, WMU recorded a .234 attack percentage with junior Rachel Bontrager and redshirt sophomore Charley Andrews each earning double digit kills. Bontrager nearly recorded her second straight double-double with 21 kills and nine digs.
Andrews posted 13 kills against NKU and led the Broncos with a stellar .522 attack percentage. Freshman Maggie King came one kill and two digs short of notching her first career double-double, ending the match with nine kills and eight digs.
The duo of freshman Rose Duffy and junior Mary Marzo each had double digit assists with Duffy leading the way with 32. Marzo followed behind Duffy with 20 and recorded her first double-double of the season with 11 digs. Leading the way for the Broncos was senior Kathleen Reilly with 25 digs.
WMU held Northern Kentucky to just a .207 attack percentage and was dominant at the net, totaling 11 blocks. Rachel Bontrager, Kathleen Reilly and Charley Andrews were named to the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational All-Tournament team with Bontrager earning Tournament MVP honors.
The Broncos hit the road once again next weekend, Sept. 6-7 for three match-ups at the Rambler Challenge in Chicago, Ill. WMU will square off with Montana State and Loyola-Maryland on Friday, Sept. 6 before facing host school Loyola-Chicago on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Set One (WMU – 25, NKU – 22)
Neither team pulled away in the early stages of set one before the Broncos went on a 4-0 run to grab a 12-7 lead. The run was highlighted by back-to-back blocks from the WMU defense followed by a Northern Kentucky attack error. Late in the set, NKU cut its deficit down to one at 21-20 after embarking on a 3-0 run before WMU regrouped with a timeout. The Norse tied the match at 21-21 out of the timeout before the Brown & Gold went on a 4-1 run to end the first set.
Set Two (WMU – 25, NKU – 23)
It was a fast start for the Broncos in the second set, racing out to a 9-5 lead thanks in large part to a 6-2 run highlighted by two kills from Charley Andrews. The Norse roared back late in the match and gained a slim 19-18 lead after a 3-0 run force WMU to call a timeout. The two teams were tied at 23-23 before a setting error and an attack error on Northern Kentucky propelled WMU to a 2-0 lead in the match.
Set Three (WMU – 16, NKU – 25)_
The third set belonged to Northern Kentucky as the Norse jumped out quickly to a 16-9 lead. In the third set, NKU hit .419 as a team while holding the Broncos to a .167 attack percentage. WMU looked to mount a comeback late in the set after a block by Andrews and King brought the deficit down to 16-24 before a serve error clinched the third set for the Norse.
Set Four (WMU – 23, NKU – 25)
It was a back and forth battle in the fourth set as Northern Kentucky scored the first four points before WMU battled back to tie the set at 6-6 after a kill from Bontrager. From that point on, neither team led by more than three as the two teams traded points midway through the set. Down the stretch the Norse held off the Broncos who cut the deficit down to one after a kill by Bontrager before sending the match to a fifth set with a kill.
Set Five (WMU – 15, NKU – 8)
The script flipped in the fifth and final set as the Broncos hit .318 and held NKU to a .040 attack percentage en route to the 15-8 set victory. WMU raced out to an early 5-2 lead to force NKU to call a timeout. The Norse rallied back and trailed 10-8 before the Brown & Gold ended the match on a 5-0 run to claim the 2019 Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational.
