OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University volleyball team closed out the home schedule in style, earning a Senior Night, 3-1 (25-17, 25-23, 23-25, 25-20), victory over Bowling Green on Thursday. It was the RedHawks eighth straight victory. Miami improves to 17-8 overall and 10-3 in the Mid-American Conference. The Falcons fall to 7-18 overall and 4-9 in the MAC.
Senior setter/right side hitter Meg Riley made it a Senior Night to remember with her 14th career triple-double. She had 13 kills, 25 assists and 19 digs, leading or tying for the lead in every single category for the RedHawks. She had only one attack error in 25 attempts for a team-leading attack percentage of .480.
The other seniors were strong in their final matches at Millett Hall as well. Senior right side hitter Sarah Chaney had a season-high 10 kills on a .333 attack percentage. She led Miami with five blocks (one solo and four assisted). Senior defensive specialist Tori Clifford was strong in the back row all match long, finishing with six digs and an assist.
Set one started out tight as neither team could build a lead of more than one point. Chaney had a pair of early kills, as did sophomore middle hitter Paige Hill. With the score tied at nine, an 8-4 run by the RedHawks put Miami in front, 17-13. Chaney had four more kills during that run. The Falcons were unable to get any closer. Chaney recorded her seventh kill of the set, and a BGSU attack error gave the ‘Hawks a 25-17 win.
Sophomore outside hitter Maris Below recorded a pair of kills, while junior outside hitter Annie Reiswig had a kill and a service ace as Miami built a 9-6 lead in set two. Despite kills from Riley and redshirt junior middle hitter Jenny Ingle, an 8-4 run by Bowling Green put it in front, 14-13. A block from Ingle and Chaney helped give the lead back to the RedHawks. The teams traded the lead three more times until the score was tied at 22. Back-to-back kills from Chaney and Reiswig gave Miami set point at 24-22. The Falcons scored next, but Ingle put down a final kill off an assist from Riley to earn a 25-23 victory.
Tied at 13 in set three, Bowling Green went on a 7-2 run to take control at 20-15. The RedHawks did not give up as Below recorded four straight kills to pull Miami to within one. After a BGSU point, a block by Hill and Chaney, followed by a Falcon attack error tied the score at 22. Bowling Green scored the next two to create set point, but Hill answered with a kill off sophomore setter Krista Brakauskas to pull the RedHawks back to within one. The comeback was not to be however, as a kill from the Falcons finished off a 25-23 win.
Bowling Green built a 10-8 lead to begin set four. Back-to-back kills from Hill started a 4-0 run that put Miami up by two. The Falcons fought back to tie the score at 15. The teams traded the next seven points, until back-to-back kills from Hill and Riley gave the Red and White a 20-18 lead. BGSU scored next, but a kill from Below, a block by Hill and Reiswig and a kill from Hill put Miami in control at 23-19. With the score 23-20, back-to-back kills from Riley and Reiswig finished off a 25-20 win and gave Miami the 3-1 victory.
Hill tied for the Miami lead with 13 kills and hit .423 for the match. Below recorded 12 kills, while Ingle had 10. Brakauskas had a double-double with 24 assists and 11 digs, while freshman libero Maeve McDonald finished with 18 digs. As a team, Miami hit an impressive .323, while holding Bowling Green to a .232 attack percentage.
The RedHawks hit the road for their final three matches of the regular season, beginning on Saturday when they travel to Western Michigan for a 7 p.m. contest.
