Miami University
Ohio
Volleyball Drops Match to Ohio in Four Sets
9/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
ATHENS, Ohio -- In a competitive match that saw a lot of long rallies, the Miami University volleyball team dropped a 1-3 (20-25, 16-25, 27-25, 20-25) decision to defending Mid-American Conference regular season champion Ohio Saturday evening. The RedHawks fall to 9-6 overall and 1-1 in the MAC. The Bobcats are 11-3 overall and 2-0 in the MAC.
Miami recorded a season-high 106 digs in the four set match, while Ohio had 100 digs of its own. Sophomore libero Maeve McDonald led the way with 25 digs, and both setters contributed in the back row with double-doubles. Freshman setter Mackenzie Zielinski recorded 22 assists and 18 digs. Junior setter Krista Brakauskas contributed 16 assists and 18 digs.
Offensively, junior Paige Hill continued her strong weekend. A day after finishing with a career-high 24 kills in a win over Kent State, she led Miami with 11 kills. She also contributed seven digs and three blocks. Senior middle hitter Jenny Ingle finished with eight kills. She made zero attack errors in 15 attempts to finish with a team leading .533 attack percentage.
Hill recorded three early kills as the RedHawks took a 5-3 lead to begin set one. Sophomore outside hitter Olivia Rusek had a kill and a service ace to help Miami maintain the advantage at 9-7. Ohio answered with an 8-3 run to take the lead at 15-12 and force the Red and White to call timeout. Out of the break, Rusek and sophomore right side hitter Katie Tomasic each had kills to pull MU to within two, but the Bobcats eventually took control of the set at 21-15. The RedHawks did not give up as a kill and a block by Hill helped them close to within three at 20-23, but Ohio answered with two points in a row to take a 25-20 win.
The second set stayed tight during the first half, with neither team able to build a lead of more than two points. A kill from Hill gave Miami a 12-11 lead, but the Bobcats followed with a 9-3 run to take control at 20-15 and force the `Hawks to use a timeout. Out of the break, a kill from senior outside hitter Annie Reiswig off an assist from Brakauskas made it a four point set, but Ohio scored the next four points in a row to take a 25-16 victory.
It looked bleak for Miami early in set three as the Bobcats jumped to an 11-6 advantage. Back-to-back kills from sophomore middle/right side hitter Meredith Stutz and freshman middle hitter Courtney Simons got the Red and White's offense going again, but Ohio maintained its lead at 15-10. A 5-1 run punctuated by a kill from freshman outside/right side hitter Stela Kukoc pulled the RedHawks to within one. Trailing 16-18, MU scored four in a row to take a 20-18 lead and force the Bobcats to call timeout. Kills from Reiswig and Stutz helped the `Hawks get set points at 24-22, but OU fought it off with three points in a row to get match point at 25-24. The Bobcats put the next point into the net, while a kill from sophomore outside hitter Maris Below and an Ohio attack error gave Miami a hard-fought, 27-25, win.
Two kills apiece from Hill and Ingle allowed the RedHawks to take an 8-5 lead to begin set four. Ohio answered with an 8-2 run to take a 13-10 advantage and force a Miami timeout. Out of the break, Ingle had three kills as the Red and White went on a 6-3 run to retie the score at 16. The Bobcats pushed the lead back to three at 21-18, but a kill from Tomasic and a block from Hill and Stutz closed the `Hawks to within one. The comeback was not to be as Ohio scored the next four point to take a 25-20 victory and win the match 3-1.
Tomasic and Reiswig each had seven kills for Miami, while Kukoc finished with five. Ohio was led by two-time defending MAC Player of the Year, setter Abby Gilleland. She had a triple-double with 13 kills, 39 assists and 22 digs.
The RedHawks return home with a pair of MAC matches next weekend. Miami will host Buffalo Friday at 7 p.m. That match will be broadcast live on ESPN3. The Red and White will then take on Akron Saturday at 5 p.m. in Millett Hall.
