Kent State Volleyball Falls to Bowling Green for Weekend MAC Split
9/22/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Hitting woes doom Golden Flashes in road loss.
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio—The Kent State volleyball team was defeated by Bowling Green, 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-17), in a Mid-American Conference match Saturday (Sept. 22) at the Stroh Center.
The Golden Flashes (4-10, 1-1) could not establish any offensive rhythm as they were unable to put together back-to-back wins to open conference play. As a team, the Flashes managed a hitting percentage of just .067 and were nearly doubled in kills (44-25).
"We definitely battled tonight and never gave up until they reached 25 points in each set," said first-year head coach Don Gromala. "That was the best we have executed a game plan in a while and played well defensively, but it wasn't enough because we weren't able to take care of things on offense."
Junior setter Aleksandra Nowak (Damnica, Poland) recorded 21 assists to lead the Kent State offense. Outside hitters Tinuke Aderemi-Ibitola (Ellicott City, Md.) and Morgan Semmelhack (Elmhurst, Ill.) had six kills each while junior defensive specialist/libero Hannah Herc (Eden, N.Y.) posted 16 digs to lead the defense.
Leading 10-7 in the opening set, Bowling Green (6-7, 2-0) rallied off five straight points to take control, eventually winning 25-15. The Golden Flashes gave away several points in the set, committing seven attack errors (just four kills) and errors on their final two serves to give the set to the Falcons.
Kent State appeared to be in good position to take the second set and even the match, as it did Friday night against Miami, when it trailed 12-11 halfway through the set. A service error by the Flashes triggered a five-point spurt that gave the Falcons some breathing room. The Flashes would get the deficit down to three at 21-18 following a block by Nowak and senior middle blocker Kathy Krupa (Burbank, Ill.), a pair of kills by Aderemi-Ibitola, and an attack error by the Falcons. Another service error on the following point relinquished Kent State's momentum. Sophomore middle blocker Liz Reikow (Holland, Mich.) would record back-to-back kills a few points later to make it 23-21, but the Flashes would not score another point in the set.
The Golden Flashes fell behind 11-3 to open the third set, but battled back to get within five points at 17-12. The early deficit proved to be too much to overcome, however, and Bowling Green recorded an ace to take the set, and match, 25-17.
"We must start going in with a winning mentality to start matches," Gromala said of his squad's repeated struggles early in matches so far this season. "Teams have us reeling back on our heels early and we need to do a better job of starting matches stronger so we aren't always playing from behind."
Bowling Green's Paige Penrod and Lindsey Butterfield both posted a match-high 11 kills while Laura Avila recorded 35 assists. Ashley Dunn (16 digs) and Leah Shaw (seven total blocks) anchored the Falcon defense.
Kent State continues its six-match road stretch when it visits Ohio Thursday (Sept. 27) match at 7 p.m.
