The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Kent State
Volleyball shuts out Kent State on the road for the first time since 1992
October 06 | Women's Volleyball
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KENT, Ohio – The University of Akron volleyball team came out looking as sharp as it has all season on Saturday night, shutting down Kent State in three sets on the road for the first time in 20 years, 25-19, 25-21, 25-23.
The last time UA swept KSU in straight sets at Kent State was Nov. 6, 1992, before rally scoring was adopted by the NCAA.
Entering the match, Akron and Kent State each had two Mid-American Conference victories against the same East Division opponents – Buffalo and Miami. The victory puts the Zips ahead of the Golden Flashes in the division standings at 3-3, and also gives UA its first 0.5 point on the scoreboard for the 2012-13 PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge.
"Coming out as strong as we did in a big rivalry game like this, I couldn't be prouder of our team," said head coach Ron Arenz. "We executed our serve receive extremely well, and the speed of play was just where it needed to be to get a crucial win like this."
Akron started the match off hot and looked like a team on a mission, showing no signs of any aftermath from its setback at Ohio the night before. The game was fast-paced right out of the gate and the Zips wasted no time executing their plan of attack.
After a service error on the first play of the game and breaking through a 1-1 tie score, Akron built a lead that Kent State just couldn't catch. The Flashes stayed within a four point margin, but Alex Cocklin came out with a signature kill and solo block to make it 15-9 and force Kent State to try something different.
KSU came out of its timeout on a 5-2 run but would never get closer than two points as Akron cruised to its first win of the night.
The rivals played a tight second set in the early going, tying the score four times before the Zips hit 10 points on a Kent State error. That would lead Akron into familiar territory, giving it the advantage it once again would never release.
Heading into the break up two sets to none, Akron and Arenz felt good about their position in the match. This season, the Zips are 7-0 when leading 2-0 after two sets, and six of those seven wins have been shutouts.
There was almost no doubt Akron was headed down the same road Saturday when it kicked off the third set with an unprecedented 9-0 run to take a huge 12-2 lead. Cocklin had three kills in that mix and Tina Dimitrijevs threw in three service aces to make it look like Kent State would have no chance at a comeback.
Although UA never gave up its lead, Kent State slowly started to chip away and even made it to within one with the score at 22-21 and the serve. But Paiton Twitty, who was one of many offensive forces for the Zips Saturday, connected on one of her match-high 10 kills to keep the Zips afloat.
Kent State quickly answered with a kill of its own, and with the score at 23-22 Akron, the Flashes forfeited the serve and a point was automatically awarded to the Zips, due to a Kent State player serving before being signaled by the official.
In the ensuing match point situation, it was almost scripted that Twitty sealed the shutout with a kill from the right side to lift Akron to victory.
Jill Paluch and Chelsea Harvey were staples for Akron defensively, combining for 30 of the team's 55 digs. As a whole, the Zips also showed improvement as a team from behind the line in limiting themselves to just four service errors in the match.
The crosstown showdown at Kent was only Akron's fifth true road match this year, and the Zips now hold a 2-3 record away from Rhodes Arena.
UA's road swing will continue next weekend when it dips into the MAC West Division with matches at Western Michigan and Northern Illinois, Oct. 12-13.
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