Kent State University
4-6,0-0MAC
Cleveland State
5-5,0-0Horizon
Flashes Beat Vikings in Five-Set Thriller
9/14/2023 9:15:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
CLEVELAND – Kent State started the final non-conference week of the 2023 volleyball season with a hard-fought win at Cleveland State, 3-2 (14-25, 25-20, 11-25, 35-33, 15-10), Thursday evening inside of Woodling Gym.
After surviving two match point opportunities for their host and coming out on top in a back-and-forth fourth set, 35-33, the Golden Flashes (4-6) were the first to 15 points to improve to 3-1 in five-setters this season.
Sophomore Mackenzie McGuire led all players with 18 kills and added 13 digs. Redshirt senior Kiana Mack was efficient in the middle with 12 kills, her most in a Kent State uniform, and .545 hitting percentage while recording a career-best six aces from behind the service line. Sophomore Kendall White totaled 44 assists and 14 digs to lead the Flashes in both categories. Freshman Brooke Rifkin, senior Bryn Roberts and senior Karina Salinas added 12 digs apiece.
How it Happened…
Set 1 (14-25): Kent State was unable to recover from a slow start in which it trailed 5-0 and posted just seven kills in the opening set.
Set 2 (25-20): It was all Flashes early as Mackenzie McGuire helped build a 6-1 lead with two kills and back-to-back block assists along with Burgundy Walters. The lead reached 11 before the Vikings fought back within four. McGuire was then able to even it up with her fifth kill of the set.
Set 3 (11-25): Another slow start resulted in a 2-1 deficit.
Set 4 (35-33): Cleveland State kept rolling early and took a 6-1 lead. Kent State took its first lead, 21-20, on an ace by Kiana Mack. The Vikings won four of the next five points to lead 24-22. Kills by Walters and Logan Henderson on the next two points kept the Flashes alive, and the duo then teamed for a block to go ahead 25-24. The teams battled back-and-forth before CSU committed a serving error on its final match point chance and then followed with consecutive attack errors.
Set 5 (15-10): Kent State won the first three points, but the Vikings led 8-7 as the teams switched sides of the court. The Flashes went ahead 10-9 before a serving error evened it. Back-to-back errors by CSU followed. After a timeout, Walters and McGuire posted kills to extend the lead to 14-10 and force another timeout. Mack finished it with an ace.
Up Next for the Flashes
Kent State opens its home schedule against Youngstown State on Friday at 4 p.m. at the M.A.C. Center.
Follow the Flashes
Be sure to follow Kent State Volleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the squad.
