Sept. 8, 2010
Final Stats | Photo Gallery 
OXFORD, Ohio - The Miami fans got their money's worth Wednesday night as the volleyball team pulled off a thrilling, 3-2 (25-18, 19-25, 25-21, 18-25, 15-9), win over Wright State in the home opener. The RedHawks improved to 2-5 overall, while the Raiders fell to 3-5.
Tied at nine in set one Amy Kendall scored three consecutive service aces to start a 5-0 run. With the score 17-12 in favor of the RedHawks, two kills from Madison Dodd along with a kill and a service ace from Michele Metzler helped expand the advantage to 22-16. That lead would hold as Miami forced Wright State into a couple of attack errors and took the set, 25-18.
Set two was even early on as Kendall set up Metzler, Dodd, Christina Menche and Kayleigh Cox for early kills. Tied at 12, the Raiders went on a 9-2 run that broke the set open. Two kills from Colleen Loftus and a Wright State error pulled Miami to within four at 17-21, but that was as close as the RedHawks would get, and they fell, 19-25.
Miami opened set three on a 4-1 run thanks to two kills from Cassie Farrell, as well as kills from Loftus and Amy Raseman. An 8-2 Raider response gave Wright State the lead at 9-6. Metzler went on the attack with five kills as the RedHawks regained the advantage at 15-12. Leading 18-17, Farrell and Loftus each put down kills off Kendall assists to expand the lead to three. Jackie Lang then put the set out of reach with three consecutive service aces. The RedHawks would go on to take the third set, 25-21.
A slow start in set four saw Miami fall behind, 8-14. Wright State would eventually expand that lead to nine at 20-11 before the RedHawks would begin a comeback attempt. Two blocks from Farrell and a service ace by Treadway were part of a 7-4 run by Miami, but the Raiders were able to answer with a final kill to take a 25-18 win.
Miami opened up a 5-2 lead in the decisive fifth set thanks two kills by Raseman, a kill by Metzler, a double block from Raseman and Farrell and a Raider attack error. The RedHawks would expand that lead to 8-3 off kills from Treadway and Loftus, as well as another service ace by Treadway. Wright State would go on a 5-1 run to close within one at 8-9, but Miami quickly scored the next five points to put the set out of reach. The RedHawks clinched the 15-9 win on a Wright State service error.
Metzler led Miami with 15 kills, while Raseman recorded 13 and Loftus 10. Lang recorded 15 digs, and had a career high five service aces. Kendall had a career-high 49 assists, as well as four service aces.
Miami travels to Ann Arbor, Mich. for the Michigan/adidas Invitational this weekend. The RedHawks will face Chicago State on Friday at 5 p.m. They follow it up with games Saturday against Youngstown State at 11 a.m., and 19th-ranked Michigan at 7:30 p.m.
