Oct. 8, 2004
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio--Miami University senior outside hitter Tara Buroker (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) recorded 13 kills and 14 digs to surpass the 1,000 career dig mark, and move within three kills of her 1,000th career kill, but it was not enough as the RedHawk volleyball team fell in four games to Akron, 16-30, 32-30, 19-30 and 21-30. Akron picked up its first Mid-American Conference win of the season and improved to 9-8 overall and 1-4 in league action, while Miami fell to 2-11 overall and 1-4 in MAC play.
A 7-2 run early in the first game by Akron put the Zips at a 15-5 advantage, and they never looked back as they collected a 30-16 win. As a team, Akron hit .441 for the game with Molly Rutledge leading the way with five kills. For the RedHawks, senior outside hitter Angie Zent (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) tallied four kills in four attempts.
Akron jumped out to a quick five-point advantage in the second game, 9-4, but Miami chiseled away at the Zip lead to knot the game, 17-17, 18-18, 19-19, 20-20, and 21-21 before they posted a 22-21 advantage. From there, the Zips went on a 6-1 run to produce a 27-23. Kills by freshman middle hitter Carli Reihman (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) and Buroker along with a block from redshirt freshman middle hitter Kate Norris (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) and sophomore outside hitter Jordan Centers (Norwalk, Ohio/St. Paul) helped Miami tie the game, 28-28. The teams went back and forth until a block by Norris and Zent and a kill by Buroker iced the game for the RedHawks, 32-30.
As it did in the first game, Akron gained an early 11-4 lead and rolled to the 30-19 Game Three win. The Zips were able to push their advantage to nine, 18-9, but Miami was able to come back and close the gap to four late in the game, 17-21, off a Buroker kill. Akron, however, went on a 9-2 run to end the game. Rutlage knocked down eight kills for the Zips in the set.
In the fourth game, Akron scored seven unanswered points to open the game until Buroker and Reihman belted back-to-back kills to get Miami on the board. An Akron service error and a Buroker kill pulled the RedHawks within four, 4-8, but the Zips went on a 10-0 run build an 18-4 cushion. Miami was able to pull within seven, 20-27, but the gap was too much to overcome as the Zips won the match with a 30-21 Game Four win.
In addition to Buroker's 13-kill/14-dig double-double, Reihman posted 10 kills and five blocks, while freshman libero Sydney Antonio (Holland, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) added 13 digs, Norris posted six blocks and Centers tallied five blocks.
Rutledge paced Akron with 17 kills and seven blocks. Jennifer Stewart and Emily Kocinski each tallied 15 kills with Kocinski notching 16 digs and Stewart adding 11. Lori Snider led all players with 17 digs.
Miami returns to action on Sunday, Oct. 10, hosting Kent State at 4 p.m.
