Nov. 18, 2003
MUNCIE, Ind-Miami University's Mid-American Conference Tournament stint ended Tuesday night (Nov. 18) with a three-game loss at No. 4 seed Ball State, 21-30, 22-30, 26-30. The RedHawks fall to 10-22 overall, while Ball State improves to 15-15.
The teams were tied eight times in the first game before Ball State went on a 5-0 run to post an 18-13 lead. Miami was able to pull within three points three times off a block by redshirt freshman middle hitter Lauren Slusser and junior outside hitter Tara Buroker, off a kill by Slusser and finally off a kill by Buroker to make the score 19-22. Ball State rattled off four unanswered points to extend its lead to 26-19 and eventually took the first game, 30-21. Slusser posted five kills and a .667 hitting percentage for the RedHawks in the set.
Spurred by a pair of kills from freshman outside hitter Jordan Centers, Miami built an early 9-6 lead in the second game. A solo block by Buroker and a kill by junior outside hitter Angie Zent helped Miami gain a four-point edge, 17-13. Ball State, however, went on a 5-0 spurt to take an 18-17 advantage. A kill by sophomore libero Suzy Wolford knotted the game, 19-19, but the Cardinals collected four straight points to take a 23-19 lead. Ball State knocked down five kills as they outscored the RedHawks 7-3 down the stretch to capture the second game, 30-22. The Cardinals were bolstered by a .462 hitting percentage in the game.
In the third game, no team held more than a two-point edge until a Miami service error and a BSU block gave the Cardinals an 11-8 lead. Trailing 15-10, Miami chipped away at the Cardinal lead with blocks by Buroker and senior middle hitter Susan Poll and the Zent/Poll tandem and kills by McCormick and Poll evened the score, 15-15. Back-to-back kills by Buroker handed Miami a 22-20 edge. Ball State came back to knot the game four times before taking a 26-25 edge. A Zent kill tied the game, 26-26, but the Cardinals ended the game on a 4-0 run to take the match on a 30-26 Game Three win.
Buroker paced the RedHawks with 13 kills, 18 digs and three blocks, while Poll and Slusser tallied 10 kills apiece. Wolford notched 11 digs.
Miami is scheduled to round out its season at Wake Forest on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 4 p.m.
