Flashes Ship Out Vikings In Frantic Five-Set Thriller
9/6/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Buczek leads breakout performances by several freshmen.
KENT, Ohio -- It wouldn't be Kent State volleyball if the match didn't go five sets. This time, it was the squad's young guns that came up big for the blue and gold.
Breakout performances by a cast of freshmen helped the Golden Flashes survive and conquer in a frantic 3-2 (25-20, 20-25, 17-25, 25-21, 19-17) triumph over regional rival Cleveland State Tuesday (Sept. 6) in NCAA non-conference action at the M.A.C. Center.
The Golden Flashes (5-4) righted their own ship after suffering through a two-match losing skid while sinking the Vikings (5-3). Kent State, which has played in five five setters in nine matches in 2011 and two in the last three matches, improved to 3-2 in contests that go the distance and 2-0 in protecting its home court. The Flashes are now 27-22 all-time against Cleveland State and put a halt to a two-match losing streak in the season series against the Vikings.
Freshman Jenny Buczek (Orland Park, Ill.) led the way for a trio of freshmen who burst onto the scene in the victory over Kent State's neighbors from the Lake Erie shore. Buczek totaled a team and career-high 16 kills and added a service ace to lead the offensive charge as the Flashes outhit the Vikings, .236-.202. Freshmen Liz Reikow (Holland, Mich.) chipped in nine kills, four blocks (one solo, three assisted) and two service aces while classmate Tinuke Aderemi-Ibitola (Ellicott City, Md.) added eight kills to the cause. The performance by the youngsters was aided by senior Maigan Larsen (Lancaster, Wis.) and junior Kathy Krupa (Burbank, Ill.). Larsen tallied eight kills while Krupa totaled a team and career-high nine blocks (three solo, six assisted) to go along with six kills. Sophomore Aleksandra Nowak (Damnica, Poland) directed the offense with a team-high 39 set assists while tallying eight kills. The team was led on the defensive end by senior Brooke Zeigler (Parkman, Ohio) and sophomore Hannah Herc (Eden, N.Y.), who totaled 16 and 13 digs, respectively.
Kent State came out firing in the first set, hitting at a .414 clip. Five kills by Buczek, two by Krupa and one apiece by Aderemi-Ibitola, Larsen and Reikow helped Kent State keep a three-point lead advantage at 21-18 over Cleveland State. The Flashes closed the set win on a 4-2 run thanks to two kills by Reikow and one each by Buczek and Larsen.
The Vikings answered the early challenge by the Flashes by taking sets two and three by outhitting Kent State .250-.171 and .273-.107, respectively.
Kent State was outhit by the Vikings again in the fourth set, .146-.107 but dug deep to even the match at two-all and force a fifth set. After breaking a 12-all tie and taking a 20-17 advantage courtesy of kills by Larsen and Reikow and six Cleveland State errors, the Vikings cut Kent State's lead back to two at 22-20. The Flashes ensured there would be extra volleyball, though, by forcing two errors by the Vikings and receiving a kill from Larsen to send the match to five sets.
The fifth set was a nail biter that required extra serves, but the Flashes ultimately took advantage of a .346-.240 hitting advantage over the Vikings. Three kills apiece by Buczek and Nowak, two kills and a service ace by Reikow and one kill by Krupa helped put the Vikings on the brink at 14-13. Cleveland State responded, though, with a kill and forced Kent State error to make the Flashes burn a timeout and face a do-or-die serve. Buczek rose to the challenge by evening the score at 15-all with a kill. A double block by Buczek and Reikow made it match point in favor of the Flashes, but the Vikings once again responded with a kill to tie it at 16-all. Buczek and the Vikings traded kills to make 17-all, but Kent State finally nailed down the big victory with a kill by Nowak and a double block Aderemi-Ibitola and Krupa.
The Flashes will look to carry the momentum over into the Kent State/Mizuno Open this weekend, as the squad welcomes Robert Morris, IUPUI and William & Mary to the M.A.C. Center for its annual tournament. Kent State is slated to square off with IUPUI and Robert Morris Friday (Sept. 9) at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively, and will close the weekend Saturday (Sept. 10) against William & Mary at noon. Stop by the Athletic Ticket Office in the M.A.C. Center or call (330) 672-2244 for more information.
