Kent State University
10-16,5-9MAC
Bowling Green
17-7,13-1MAC
Volleyball Falls to First-Place Falcons
11/5/2021 9:19:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Kent State gave Mid-American Conference co-leader Bowling Green all it could handle in each set, but fell short in a 3-0 (25-27, 23-25, 21-25) loss Friday evening.
The Golden Flashes (10-16, 5-9 MAC) were the first to reach 25 in the opening set after junior Savannah Matthews scored three straight with a kill and back-to-back aces. The Falcons countered by winning the next three points to take the set, 27-25.
Kent State showed resiliency and opened the second set with a 3-0 lead. A kill by junior Morgan Copley made it 11-6, giving the Flashes their largest lead of the night. Bowling Green countered with an 11-3 run to lead by three. Kent State answered by winning six of the next seven points for a 20-18 advantage. Five of the following six points went to the Falcons before the Flashes recorded back-to-back points for a 23-23 tie. Bowling Green was able to get a kill on the ensuing point and followed with a block to win it, 25-23.
The Falcons carried momentum into the third set and jumped out to a 12-4 lead. A 7-3 run got Kent State within four. The deficit reached six again and the Flashes ran out of points to overcome the slow start, falling 25-21.
Junior Taylor Heberle was a force at the pin for Kent State, totaling a team-high 14 kills while posting a .476 hitting percentage. Savannah Matthews and senior Danie Tyson added nine kills and seven kills, respectively. Freshman Kiersten Kraus had a career-high 34 assists in her first start at the setter position.
Sophomore Bryn Roberts led all players with 14 digs. Senior Erin Gardner added 11 digs.
Kent State will seek a split of the weekend series against Bowling Green on Saturday. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m.
Be sure to follow Kent State Volleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the squad.
