Miami Ohio University Athletics
Miami Volleyball Team Falls to Akron in Four Games
11/3/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The RedHawks were paced by Lee Ann Karr's (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) 18 kills, four blocks and .366 hitting percentage. Amy Pfohl (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) added 14 kills and 12 digs, while Kelly McCullough (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) notched 15 kills five blocks and one service aces. Defensively, Jennifer Eaton (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) had a big night for the Red and White with 16 digs and seven blocks.
For the Zips, Katie Kuzior (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) posted 18 kills. Sandy Lewis (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) notched 12 kills, 19 digs and five service aces, and Julie McDivitt (Windham, Ohio/Windham) added 54 assists and 10 digs.
Down 6-0 in the beginning of game one, Miami chipped away at the Akron lead to claim a 15-10 win to open the match. Karr, McCullough and Pfohl teamed up for 14 of Miami's 19 kills in the first game, nailing six, four and four kills, respectively. Three consecutive service aces by Akron's Ashley Lewis (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) sparked the Zips' opening run. The RedHawks took a 7-6 lead on the Zips on a McCullough kill, however, Akron responded to recapture the lead, 10-7. A critical ace by Summer Clouse (Tiffin, Ohio/Hopewell-Loudon) knotted the game, 10-10. Jessica Rayburg (Arnold, Pa./Valley) followed with a devastating kill to hand the RedHawks a lead they would not relinquish.
Akron regrouped in the second game, taking a 15-5 win to even the match, 1-1. A kill by McCullough and a powerful block by Rayburg and McCullough gave Miami an early 2-0 lead. Kills by Akron's Kuzior even the game, 2-2, Miami earned its third point on a McCullough kill to take a 3-2 lead. The Zips, however, rattled off five straight points to earn a 7-3 lead. Blocks by Clouse and Eaton and then Eaton and Karr pulled Miami to within two, 5-7. Those would be the final points for the RedHawks as Akron went on to score eight unanswered points to take the second game.
Miami appeared to regain its form from the first game, busting out to a 10-2 lead. A persistent Zip attack carved away at the RedHawk advantage, winning the third game 16-14. A kill by Susan Poll (Grand Rapids, Mich./East Kentwood) placed the Red and White at game point, 14-11. Service aces by Jenn Snyder (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) and Monika Morlock (Norwayne, Ohio/Norwayne) in conjunction with three Sandy Lewis kills earned the Zips a 2-1 advantage in the match.
Akron carried its momentum from game three into the fourth stanza, opening up a 7-0 lead on the 'Hawks. A Karr kill ignited a RedHawk fire that battled back to cut the Zip lead to three, 8-11. After a spirited rally, Akron notched its 12th point on an Ashley Case kill. A service ace by McDivitt followed for the Zips 14th point. A block by Murlock and Ashleigh Nugent (Niles, Mich./Edwardsburg) ended the match with a 15-9 score in the fourth game.
Miami rounds out its three-match week at Buffalo
