Bulls Come Back For Five-Set Victory Over Colgate
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo (2-0) | 21 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
| Colgate (0-1) | 25 | 25 | 18 | 22 | 10 | 2 |
| Buffalo | Colgate |
|---|---|
|
K:
Liz Scott - 20
B: Alessan Jovy-Heuser - 5 D: Kelly Svoboda - 17 SA: Dani Reinert - 2 |
K:
Young, Lindsay - 16
B: Seely, Diane - 5 D: Young, Lindsay - 17 SA: 4 Players (#12, #22, #2, #11 - 1) |
| TEAM STATISTICS | Buffalo | Colgate |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .269 | .173 |
| Blocks | 9.0 | 7.0 |
| Digs | 61 | 69 |
| Aces | 5 | 4 |
HAMILTON, NY – The University at Buffalo volleyball team showed its ability to come back on Friday night, overcoming a two-set deficit to defeat Colgate, 3-2 in the second match at the Colgate Classic. The victory completes a perfect 2-0 day for UB, who defeated Seton Hall earlier this afternoon.
The Bulls took the match 21-25, 20-25, 25-18, 25-22, 15-10, hitting .269 for the match, including nothing less than .289 in the final three sets. The first two sets belonged to the host Raiders as they were able to ride the momentum of a good crowd at Cottrell Court.
However, the Bulls refused to quit and for a team with eight newcomers, it showed what they can deliver this season. Centered around the comeback was the play of freshman outside hitter Liz Scott, who recorded a match-high 20 kills, with just three errors on 40 swings. Scott added 12 digs and four total blocks.
The Bulls began to find a rhythm in the third set, getting a boost from freshman Sable Staller, who saw the first action of her collegiate career in that third set. The Bulls ended up taking it 25-18, beginning their come back.
The fourth set saw UB hit .302 as it continued to pull closer with a 25-22 win in the fourth set, setting up a pivotal fifth. The Bulls stormed out to an early lead in that fifth set, never looking back for the 15-10 win.
"An outstanding team win to cap off a great first day," said head coach Todd Kress. "We responded to some adversity early on and that was great to see, especially with such a young team. I thought our conditioning was better and that was the difference tonight."
In addition to Scott's play, senior Abby Niekamp added 16 kills and just two errors on 30 swings. Sophomore Dana Musil added 11 kills and 10 digs, while Staller had eight kills and nine digs. Sophomore Dani Reinert ran the offense with a career-high 57 assists.
Defensively, sophomore Kelly Svoboda had 17 digs, while the Bulls as a team had nine team blocks, led by five from Alessandra Jovy-Heusser.
The Bulls will continue play at the Colgate Classic tomorrow afternoon with a rematch against Colgate at 4:00 pm.