Nov. 6, 2004
Box Score
AKRON, Ohio--After suffering a 24-30 loss in the first game, Miami University's volleyball team regrouped and swept the next three sets, 30-26, 31-29 and 30-17, to top the University of Akron Zips in four games. The RedHawks improve to 8-15 overall and 6-8 in Mid-American Conference play, while Akron drops to 12-13 overall and 4-9 in MAC action.
The teams traded points throughout much of the first game. Miami posted an 18-15 lead, but Akron came right back and scored four unanswered points to take the 19-18 edge. The RedHawks pulled within one of the Zips, 21-22, off a kill by sophomore outside hitter Lauren Slusser (Columbus Grove, Ohio/Columbus Grove), but the Zips surged ahead off a four-point run to take the 26-21 lead. Akron held a 27-22 advantage when kills by sophomore middle hitter Jordan Centers (Norwalk, Ohio/St. Paul) and freshman middle hitter Carli Reihman (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) pulled the RedHawks within three, 24-27. Akron, however, scored three straight points to take the first game, 30-24.
Kills by Reihman and freshman outside hitter Jeanna Staun (Loveland, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) helped Miami to a quick 3-0 lead in the second game. A pair of kills by senior outside hitter Tara Buroker (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) and a block by Buroker and Slusser helped Miami gain a 17-13 lead. The Zips came back within one, 18-17, but Miami was able to build a four-point cushion several times through out the later part of the set. A Zip attack error ended the second game in favor of the RedHawks, 30-26.
No team led by more than two points throughout the first part of the third game. Kills by Reihman and senior outside hitter Angie Zent (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) handed Miami respective 8-7 and 9-8 leads. Back-to-back kills put the Zips at a 19-16 advantage, but a pair of kills by Buroker, a kill by Zent and a block by Zent and Slusser knotted the game, 20-20. The teams traded points until Miami put together back-to-back points off a Zip service error and a big block by Buroker and Slusser, which handed Miami a 26-25 edge, its first lead since early in the game. A kill and a block put the Zips back in the lead, 27-26. A Buroker service ace put Miami at game point, 29-28, but the Zips tied things up off a kill. Kills by Staun and Riehman, however, iced the third game for the RedHawks, 31-29.
Blocks by Staun/Reihman, Zent/Slusser and Buroker/Slusser along with a Stuan service ace and a pair of aces by Reihman gave the RedHawks a decisive 10-2 lead in the fourth game. A kill by Staun, a block by Centers and Reihman and a Zip attack error pushed Miami's lead to 11 points, 16-5. Two Akron attack errors helped extand Miami's lead to 12 points, 21-9, and Miami rolled to the 30-17 Game Four win. A kill by Reihman and a block by Zent and Slusser iced the fourth game and the match for the RedHawks.
For Miami, Reihman tallied 16 kills and three service aces, while Buroker added 13 kills, 21 digs and four blocks. Staun notched 11 kills and 18 digs, while Slusser added a match-high seven blocks. Junior libero Suzy Wolford (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) also posted 21 digs for the RedHawks.
Miami rounds out its regular season next week, hosting Ball State on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. and traveling to Northern Illinois for a tilt on Saturday, Nov. 13.
