Nov. 14, 2009
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio - An off-hitting night proved to be too much for the Miami University volleyball team to overcome, as the Kent State Golden Flashes defeated the RedHawks, 3-0 (31-29, 26-24, 25-16), Saturday night in the regular-season finale for both teams at Millett Hall on Miami's Senior Night. Despite being swept over the weekend, Miami (16-12, 11-5 Mid-American Conference) earned the No. 3 seed in the upcoming MAC Tournament, which gives the RedHawks a first-round bye.
Miami will face either Toledo or Bowling Green in the quarterfinals of the tournament on Friday, Nov. 20 at 1:30 p.m. Those teams will meet in a first round game at 7 p.m. on Tuesday to determine who advances to the Seagate Center.
The win tonight was Kent State's (14-15, 7-8 MAC) first over Miami since 2005, as the RedHawks had won the last eight meetings with the Golden Flashes, including a 3-1 win in Kent earlier this season.
Miami hit just .140 for the match while KSU swung at a .262 clip, led by Arjola Prenga's double-double of 19 kills (a game high) and 11 digs. The Flashes also recorded 26 block assists and a block solo, compared to the RedHawks' six block assists and two block solos. Senior Hallie Hanks paced Miami with nine kills on team-high .238 hitting, while freshman libero Lisa Treadway had a team-high 13 digs. Junior Michele Metzler added seven kills, six digs, two block assists and a block solo for Miami. KSU setter Jenny Keck had a triple-double with 41 assists, 13 digs and 10 blocks.
The 'Hawks earned the first two points of the match on a Hanks kill and a KSU error and raced to a 7-3 edge early. Miami stretched the lead to as much as five three times, the last time being 15-10 on a Kent State service error. The Flashes evened the match at 16 all, however, with a 6-1 run powered by a pair of kills from Prenga, who finished with nine kills in the opening set. The teams traded points until a put-down from senior Maria Leahy gave Miami set point at 24-23. Another Prenga kill kept the set going though and eventually kills by Meredith Paskert and Prenga closed out the set for KSU, 31-29, despite the RedHawks fighting off five set points.
The second set was another tight set that featured 12 ties and five lead changes with neither side leading by more than two until the Flashes grabbed a 16-13 edge on a Miami attack error. The 'Hawks fought back to even the frame at 18 on an ace by Metzler. The RedHawks then grabbed a two-point cushion at 21-19 thanks to a pair of attack errors by Paskert and earned a set point at 24-23 on a service error, but KSU closed out the set with three straight points, including a pair of kills by Prenga sandwiched around a Miami error for the 26-24 decision.
The RedHawks couldn't seem to find a rhythm in the third and final set, as they hit -.083 in the frame while the Flashes hit .162 and also had five blocks and a pair of service aces. Miami's only lead in the set came at 3-2 on a kill by sophomore Jenn Caylor, but five straight points from Kent State put them on top 7-3. The KSU advantage ballooned to 12-6 on a Miami attack error but three Flashes attack errors allowed the RedHawks to close within two at 13-11, forcing a KSU timeout. Miami would get no closer, however, as Kent State finished out the match on a 12-5 spurt to win the final set 25-16 with Kathy Krupa's kill ending the match.
The contest was the final home match for Miami seniors Hanks, Leahy, who had seven kills and nine digs, Andrea Atteberry, who handed out 37 assists, and Megan Griffin, who is now just 13 kills shy of 1,000 for her career after six in her final match at Millet Hall.
With the third seed, the RedHawks earn a first-round bye and will open MAC Tournament play Friday, Nov. 20 in the quarterfinals in Toledo, Ohio.
--MURedHawks.com--
