Nov. 5, 2004

Box Score

BUFFALO, N.Y.--Despite winning the first two games 30-17 and 30-24, Miami University's volleyball team dropped the next three to the University at Buffalo Bulls, 23-30, 27-30 and 11-15. Miami falls to 7-15 overall and 5-8 in Mid-American Confernce play, while Buffalo moves to 8-18 overall and 1-12 in MAC action.

Seven RedHawk service aces spurred Miami in the first game. The teams went back and forth in the early stages until the RedHawks pulled out to an 18-10 lead, capped by a big block from senior outside hitter Angie Zent (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) and sophomore middle hitter Lauren Slusser (Columbus Grove, Ohio/Columbus Gove) and a pair of service aces by junior setter Megan Clark (Solon, Ohio/Solon). Freshman middle hitter Carli Reihman (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) served up three aces to score three of Miami's final four points, including its final two points, while senior outside hitter Tara Buroker (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) knocked down a kill to help the RedHawks to the 30-17 Game One win.

The second game was a much closer battle with the teams nearly trading points early in the set. Off kills by sophomore middle hitter Jordan Centers (Norwalk, Ohio/St. Paul), Slusser and freshman outside hitter Jeanna Staun (Loveland, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) and a block by Slusser and Centers, Miami pulled out to an 18-13 advantage. Buffalo came back within one of the RedHawks, 22-21, but Miami staged an 8-3 surge to win the second game, 30-24. Slusser had a kill and a block assist with Centers down the stretch, while Reihman and Staun iced the game for the RedHawks with respective kills.

Buffalo took a quick 3-1 lead in the third game and again things were close in the early stages of the game. A kill and a service ace by Reihman and a kill by Buroker put Miami at a 15-11 lead. The Bulls crept back to within one, 15-14, but a Buroker kill staved off the charge. Miami's lead, however, was short lived as Buffalo collected five straight points to post a 19-16 lead. Miami came back to knot the game, 21-21, off a kill by Zent, but Buffalo rattled off another seven points to take a 28-21 lead. Buffalo then went on to take the third game, 30-23.

In the fourth game, Buffalo led by as many as four through the first half of the set, posting 7-3 and 13-9 leads. Kills by Zent, Buroker, Reihman and Centers helped Miami chip away at the Bull lead and take a 16-15 lead. With Miami holding a slight 18-17 edge off a Staun kill, Buffalo put away three straight kills to claim a 20-18 advantage. Miami tied the game, 21-21 off a kill by Buroker, but that was as close as the RedHawks would get as Buffalo went on to take the fourth game 30-27.

Two kills and a block gave Buffalo a quick 3-1 lead in the fifth game. The Bulls extended their lead to five, 14-9, but a block by Centers and Reihman and a kill by Staun put the RedHawks within three, 11-14. A Miami attack error, however, ended the RedHawk comeback as the Bulls took the fifth game, 15-11.

For Miami, Buroker collected 20 kills and 24 digs, while Staun added 17 kills and 17 digs. Reihman notched 13 kills, 10 digs, eight blocks and four aces.

Buffalo was led by Tammy Jule with 21 kills, 11 digs and five blocks, while Katie Weekly notched 18 kills and 11 blocks.

The RedHawks return to action on Saturday Nov. 6, playing at Akron at 7 p.m.