Oct. 18, 2003

Box Score

AKRON, Ohio-Rounding out its five-match road stretch, Miami University's volleyball team (7-17; 1-8 Mid-American Conference) lost a three-game match at Akron (9-10; 4-3 MAC), 19-30, 24-30, 21-30.

Spurred by a 7-2 run midway through the first game, Akron pulled out to a 20-11 lead. A kill by junior outside hitter Angie Zent and a block by sophomore setter Megan Clark and redshirt freshman middle hitter Lauren Slusser helped Miami pull within eight, 14-22. The Zips eventually extended their lead to 11, 15-26. Miami was able close the gap to nine, with its last nine-point deficit off a sophomore outside hitter Kristen Walters kill, 19-28. A RedHawk service error and ball handling error ended the game in favor of the Zips, 30-19.

Miami found itself down 3-6 early in the second game. A 4-0 RedHawk run ignited by a Slusser block and fired by kills from Clark and Buroker and a block by Clark and Slusser handed Miami a 7-6 edge. Again the RedHawks were at a disadvantage, this time by a 10-14 margin. A much more inspired RedHawk squad showed its face as Miami chiseled away at the Akron lead to post a 16-15 edge. Three powerful Miami solo blocks by Buroker, Walters and Slusser paced the RedHawks in their come-back. The teams went back and forth until the Zips pulled away to a 24-21 advantage. Off a Walters kill, Miami was able to shrink the Zip lead to one, 23-24, but Akron went on a 6-1 run down the stretch to capture the second game, 30-24.

The RedHawks trailed from the onset of the third game, but a Clark service ace tied the game, 7-7, and a kill by freshman outside hitter Jordan Centers knotted the set, 8-8. From there, the Zips went on a 10-2 run to post an 18-10 kill lead. Miami was able to pull within five, 15-20, off a solo block by Clark, but Akron rolled to the 30-21 Game Three win.

For the RedHawks Buroker collected a career-high three solo blocks and tallied a team-best 10 digs, while Slusser and Zent added eight kills apiece. Miami collected eight solo blocks as a team, three off the program's single-match record.

Miami returns home to host Ohio in its lone match of the week on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m.