Sept. 11, 2004
Box Score
CHAMPAIGN, Ill.--In its final match at the State Farm Illini Classic, Miami University's volleyball team fell in four games to American University, 24-30, 27-20, 30-28 and 27-30. Miami drops to 1-4, while American moves to 3-2.
Miami trailed through much of the first game. The RedHawks were able to pull within one of American, 12-13, off a kill by senior outside hitter Angie Zent (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) and an Eagle ball handling error. The Eagles, however, went on a 7-1 flurry to post a 20-13 lead. Two kills apiece by redshirt freshman middle hitter Kate Norris (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) and freshman middle hitter Carli Reihman (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) and a block by the Zent/Norris duo put the RedHawks within one, 23-24. American, however, went on a 6-1 surge to end the first game with a 30-24 win.
Kills by freshman outside hitter Jeanna Staun (Loveland, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) and Norris helped Miami build a six-point cushion in the second game, 14-8. The RedHawks led by five midway through the set, 19-14, but American chipped away at the Miami lead and took a late lead of its own, 27-24. Kills from Buroker and Reihman moved the RedHawks within one, 26-27, but Miami was unable to overtake the Eagles as they notched a 30-27 Game Two win.
In the third game, Miami was able to post an early six-point edge, 10-4, with help from two kills each by Buroker, Zent and Reihman. American, however, went on an 8-1 run to claim a one-point lead, 12-11. The teams went back and forth from there. Trailing 24-25, a kill by Zent, two kills by Buroker and a big block by Reihman and Zent put Miami at a two-point edge, 28-26. Another kill by Zent put the set at game point, 29-27. An Eagle kill moved American within one, but a Buroker kill iced the third game for the RedHawks, 30-28. Buroker had nine of Miami's 20 kills in the third game.
Junior defensive specialist Megan Clark (Solon, Ohio/Solon) started the fourth game with a service ace and the RedHawks took an early 5-2 lead in the fourth game off kills by Staun and junior setter Suzy Wolford (Batavia, Ill./Batavia). American came back to lead by as many as five points, 23-18. Miami was able to cut the lead to two points, 27-29, will an Eagle service error and a kill by Stuan, but an Eagle kill ended the match with a Game Three American win, 30-27.
For the RedHawks, Buroker led all players with 21 kills and also notched a .409 hitting percentage. Staun and Reihman each tallied 14 kills, while Zent added 12. Wolford tallied a career-high 57 assists and added eight digs. Staun and Buroker also tallied eight digs, while Reihman and Staun hit .478 and .419, respectively.
Miami returns home to host Dayton on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. before hosting the Miami Best Western/Sycamore Inn Classic Sept. 17-18. Tuesday night's match is Meet the Team Night.
