Nov. 17, 2006
Box Score
TOLEDO, Ohio--After taking the first game in its Mid-American Conference quarterfinal match-up with Western Michigan, Miami University's volleyball team could not collect another game as the RedHawks fell to the Broncos in four games. The loss dropped Miami to 13-17 on the season while the Broncos improved to 20-12 and will move on to face the winner of the No.1 Ohio / No.8 Eastern Michigan match-up in the MAC semifinals.
Miami held a one-point advantage at 8-7 before a kill by junior middle hitter Carli Reihman and a solo block and a kill by freshman middle hitter Megan Griffin guided Miami to a 12-7 lead. Back-to-back kills by freshman middle hitter Hallie Hanks and Reihman gave Miami its largest lead of the game at 17-11. The Broncos slowly crept back into the game as four RedHawk errors helped the Broncos cut the Miami deficit to one at 21-20. The Miami lead remained one as late as 25-24, but kills by Reihman and sophomore outside hitter Emily Schroeder pushed the RedHawks to a 27-24 advantage. Two more kills by Schroeder and an attack error by the Broncos gave Miami a 30-26 game-one victory. The RedHawks hit at a .400 clip in the first game.
After trailing by three for most of the early portion of game two, the RedHawks rebounded to take a 14-13 lead thanks to solo blocks by junior outside hitter Jeanna Staun, Reihman and Griffin. Both teams traded points until two RedHawk errors gave the Broncos a two-point lead at 21-19. Three Bronco kills and a service ace lifted Western Michigan to its biggest lead of the game at 27-22. Miami was unable to erase the deficit as it fell 30-26 in game two.
Kills by Schroeder, Staun, and Reihman set the tone out of the ten minute intermission to lift Miami to a 4-0 lead. Both teams exchanged points for the next half of the game with Miami holding a three-point lead at 20-17. From that point, the Broncos surged ahead by scoring the next eight points behind the strong serving of Kathryn Babcock giving Western Michigan a 25-20 cushion. The teams traded points and a service ace by Katie Eberling gave Western Michigan a 30-24 game-three win.
After jumping out to a six-point lead at 10-4, Miami only put down one ball over the next ten points as Western retaliated to take a 13-11 lead. After a Bronco service ace extended the Western Michigan lead to three at 14-11, the RedHawks fought back by winning six of the next seven points to take a 17-5 lead. Just as the RedHawks took the lead, the Broncos rallied to take the next six out of seven points to regain their three-point lead at 21-18. Once the Broncos regained their lead, Miami was unable to comeback as Western Michigan took game four, and the match 30-23.
Miami was led by Reihman who notched a match-high 23 kills. Along with Reihman, Schroeder amassed 22 kills for Miami. Freshman setter Andrea Atteberry posted a career-high 64 assists in the defeat. The 20-plus kill effort was Reihman's third of the season and Schroeder's 11th of the year. Sophomore libero Melissa Zenz notched her eighth 20-plus dig performance of the season with a match-high 23 digs.
Western Michigan was led by Michelle Moore and Kathryn Babcock who collected 20 kills apiece.
Miami will round out its 2006 season by hosting the Miami Invitational on Nov. 24 and Nov. 25. The RedHawks will face Valparaiso at 4 p.m. on Nov. 24 and Fairfield at 4 p.m. on Nov. 25.
NOTES: Schroeder's 22 kills moved her season total to 484 kills, which ranks second on Miami's single-season kills list. Reihman's 23 kills moved her within nine kills of becoming the 15th Miami member to reach the 1,000 kill plateau.
