Nov. 14, 2003

Box Score

OXFORD, Ohio--Miami University's volleyball squad (9-21; 3-12 Mid-American Conference) took three straight games off Eastern Michigan (20-8; 8-7 MAC), 30-22, 30-25 and 30-27 after dropping the first game 15-30 to seize a four-game win over the Eagles on Friday evening (Nov. 14).

Junior outside hitter Tara Buroker (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) paced the RedHawks with 16 kills, 14 digs and a .371 hitting percentage, while senior setter Melinda McCormick (Kalamazoo, Mich./Loy Norrix) collected 55 assists and 10 digs.

Eastern Michigan's Emily Busch connected on five of her eight attack attempts for a .625 hitting percentage and served up an ace to pace the Eagles in the first set. A kill by Buroker left the RedHawks trailing 4-5 early in the first game. A 9-1 surge by the Eagles, including two kills by Katie Wagenmaker, pushed Eastern Michigan to a 14-5 lead and EMU never looked back as it took the first game, 30-15.

Miami took an early 5-2 lead in the second game off a kill and a service ace by freshman outside hitter Jordan Centers (Norwalk, Ohio/St. Paul) and a kill by McCormick. Eastern Michigan came back to post a 12-10 lead off a Jennifer Nighswander service ace and a kill by Becky Baltare. A kill by Buroker and back-to-back service aces by redshirt freshman middle hitter Lauren Slusser (Columbus Grove, Ohio/Columbus Grove) handed Miami the lead for good, 13-12. Slusser iced the second game for the RedHawks with a kill, 30-23.

In the third game, it was relatively close until Miami broke out to a six-point advantage, 19-13, off a balanced RedHawk attack. The Eagles pulled to within two, 21-19, but Miami went on to take the third game, 30-25, with six kills apiece from Buroker and junior outside hitter Angie Zent (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop).

Again, Miami jumped out to an early lead in the fourth game, posting a 13-8 advantage with help from a block by Buroker and senior middle hitter Susan Poll and a Buroker kill. EMU rallied to tie the game, 16-16, off a kill by Lindsay Piccolini. Miami regained its edge until EMU's Lauren Viney served up an ace to again knot the game, 20-20. Kills by Poll and McCormick and a Centers service ace handed Miami a 23-20 edge and a lead it would not relinquish. The Eagles came within two points on four occasions, but Miami took the fourth game, 30-27.

In addition to Buroker and McCormick, Slusser added 14 kills, a .429 hitting percentage, two service aces and four blocks, while Zent tallied 13 kills and two service aces. Centers notched nine kills and three service aces in the win.

Eastern Michigan received 17 kills apiece from Busch and Piccolini, while Viney added 61 assists and three service aces.

Miami hosts Akron in its final home match of the 2003 campaign on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. The RedHawks will honor their three seniors--McCormick, Poll and outside hitter Amy Pfohl (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula)--before the match.