OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University volleyball team rebounded from a tough match against Ohio with its most complete performance of the season, a 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-19) victory over Buffalo on Friday. The RedHawks improve to 7-7 overall and 2-1 in the Mid-American Conference. The Bulls fall to 5-10 overall and 1-2 in the MAC.
Miami made only 11 attack errors in the entire match, hitting a robust .330. The defense kept Buffalo on its heels all night long, forcing it into 17 attack errors against only 28 kills for a .110 attack percentage.
Junior middle hitter
Avarie Powell continued her breakout season with a team-high 12 kills against the Bulls. She made only two errors in 17 attempts for a spectacular attack percentage of .588.
Kills from junior right side hitter
Sarah Wojick and senior middle hitter
Margaret Payne off assists from junior setter
Morgan Seaman, followed by a service ace from senior outside hitter
Taylor Daignault put Miami on top, 3-0, to begin set one. The Bulls tied the score at four, but a 10-3 run featuring two kills for Powell off assists from sophomore setter
Louise Comerford put the RedHawks in control at 14-7. Powell recorded another kill, while a kill and a service ace from Daignault made it 19-9. A block by Payne gave MU its largest lead at 21-10. That was more than enough as Comerford dumped the ball down to finish off a 25-16 win.
A Seaman service ace got set two off to a strong start. Kills from sophomore outside hitter
Gaby Harper and senior right side hitter
Haley Stewart helped the Red and White build an 8-4 lead. Leading 13-11, a 6-1 run featuring a kill from Payne and an ace by Wojick made it 19-13. Powell took over, scoring three of the next four points, while a pair of kills from Payne completed the 25-16 victory.
Tied at four in set three, two kills from sophomore right side hitter
Sophie Riemersma along with kills from Harper and Powell made it 8-4. Buffalo followed with its only big run of the night, scoring the next eight points to take its first lead at 12-8. Riemersma had three more kills as Miami answered with a 7-1 run to take the advantage back at 15-13. It continued to go back and forth as Buffalo regained a 17-16 lead. A kill from freshman outside hitter
Lindsay Taylor helped tie the match at 19. At that point, Taylor and Powell had two kills apiece and teamed up for a block as Miami scored the final six in a row to take a 25-19 win and the match in straight sets.
Payne finished with seven kills for Miami, while Wojick put down six. Harper and Riemersma each had five for the RedHawks. Comerford led Miami with 19 assists, while Harper and junior libero
Abigail Huser each recorded 13 digs.
The RedHawks return to action on Saturday when they host Akron at 5 p.m. That match will air live on ESPN3.
