Box Score

Box Score (PDF)

OXFORD, Ohio -- In an amazing back-and-forth battle that saw long rallies in every set, the Miami University volleyball team closed out the regular season with a 3-2 (26-24, 23-25, 25-19, 25-27, 15-11) win over Western Michigan Saturday evening. The RedHawks improve to 20-9 overall and finish 12-4 in the Mid-American Conference. The Broncos fall to 14-17 overall and 10-6 in the MAC.

The match featured 204 combined digs, 20 combined blocks and took two hours and 15 minutes to complete.

Sophomore outside hitter Olivia Rusek had one of the best matches of her career in the victory. She finished with a career-high 21 kills, and made it a double-double with 10 digs. She had only four attack errors in 48 attempts and hit .354 for the match.

Each of the setters contributed in both phases of the match, feeding the outside hitters throughout, while getting some very important digs. Junior setter Krista Brakauskas recorded a double-double with a season-high 31 assists and 11 digs. Freshman setter Mackenzie Zielinski also had a double-double with 17 assists and a career-high 23 digs. She was one off the defensive lead for digs, which was held by sophomore libero Maeve McDonald with 24 digs.

Western Michigan built a 9-5 lead to begin set one. Despite kills from Rusek and senior middle hitter Jenny Ingle, the Broncos were able to maintain a three-point advantage throughout the first half of the set. A service ace by senior outside hitter Annie Reiswig and a kill from sophomore right side hitter Katie Tomasic eventually allowed Miami to tie the score at 18. WMU went on a 4-2 run to take a 22-20 advantage and force a Miami timeout. Out of the break, a Bronco service error, a kill from freshman outside hitter Stela Kukoc and an attack error gave the RedHawks a 23-22 lead and forced Western Michigan to call a timeout of its own. After WMU scored next, a kill from Ingle gave Miami set point. The Broncos fought it off once, but back-to-back kills by Rusek gave the `Hawks a come-from-behind, 26-24, win.

Tied at seven in set two, kills from Reiswig and Kukoc, along with a service ace by Reiswig put Miami in front by three. Rusek had another kill and a service ace to help the RedHawks build that advantage to four at 15-11. Western Michigan answered with a 9-3 run to take a 20-18 lead, however a Bronco attack error and a kill by Rusek tied the score at 20. Tied at 22, WMU scored two in a row to get set point. After they had a service error, the Broncos put down a kill to take a 25-23 win and tie the match.

Tomasic had two kills, while Ingle and Rusek had one each to help Miami open up a 5-0 lead to begin set three. WMU cut the deficit to two at 4-6, but two blocks from Reiswig put the RedHawks back in front by five at 11-6. In front 13-9, Rusek had two kills, while McDonald had a service ace as part of four straight points that made it 17-9. The Broncos closed to within four at 14-19, but kills by Rusek, Reiswig and junior middle hitter Paige Hill put Miami back in control again. A kill from Reiswig off an assist from Brakauskas finished off a 25-19 victory.

Rusek recorded four more kills as the Red and White built an 8-3 lead to begin set four. The Broncos fought back to within one at 10-11, before Ingle answered with a kill. Rusek and Ingle each had kills, but a 7-3 run gave Western Michigan a 17-14 advantage and forced a RedHawk timeout. Hill got Miami back into it with two consecutive blocks and the `Hawks eventually tied the score at 19. Trailing 20-21, MU scored four in a row capped by a service ace from McDonald to get match point at 24-21. However the Broncos did not give up, fighting it off with four points in a row to get their own set point at 25-24. A kill from Rusek tied the score at 25, but WMU scored two in a row to complete the comeback victory at 27-25 and send the match to a decisive fifth set.

It did not look good for Miami early in set five as it fell behind, 3-6. Hill would not let the RedHawks lose however, as she had two kills and two blocks as part of a 6-0 run that gave them a 9-6 advantage. Western Michigan fought back to pull within one at 9-10, but a block from sophomore right side hitter Meredith Stutz and Ingle sent momentum back on Miami's side. In front 12-11, Tomasic and Hill had back-to-back kills to create match point. This time the Red and White finished it off as Hill and Tomasic teamed up for the block to give Miami a 15-11 win and a 3-2 victory in the match.

Ingle finished with nine kills, Tomasic had eight, while Hill and Reiswig each recorded seven. Hill also had a team-high seven blocks (one solo and six assisted). The RedHawk defense held the Broncos to a .118 attack percentage for the match.

Miami returns to action next weekend when it participates in the Mid-American Conference Tournament in Athens, Ohio. The RedHawks are the fourth seed and will face the winner of fifth seed Western Michigan and eighth seed Eastern Michigan on Friday at 5:30 p.m.