The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Kent State
Volleyball falls to Kent State in home finale, 3-1
November 08 | Women's Volleyball
Follow Akron Volleyball on Twitter and Facebook
Final Statistics | Final Statistics (PDF) | Season Statistics
Arenz Postgame Video and Highlights
AKRON, Ohio -- Akron's offense exploded for 19 kills in a second set victory, but it was not enough fuel to propel past rival Kent State in a 3-1 loss Saturday evening (25-17, 20-25, 25-18, 25-18) in what was the final match at James A. Rhodes Arena for the season.
The Zips tallied just four errors in the second frame, hitting .349 as a team and using a 7-0 run midway through the set to tie the match at one before the break.
The result gives Kent State a half-point in the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge standings. KSU currently leads UA, 3.0-1.0, for the year.
UA (8-21, 2-12 MAC) turned in a balanced scoring attack, led by Julie Shallman with nine kills and followed by Julia Smagacz and Mary Delich with eight apiece.
Brenna Mack led both teams with a career-high 17 digs on the night. Delich posted four solo blocks and had a hand in one block assist to supplement Akron's defensive effort.
Three players hit for double figures for Kent State (15-12, 7-7 MAC), led by Tinuke Aderemi-Ibitola with a match-high 16 kills. Kent State hit .230 as a team and combined for 12.0 total blocks to Akron's seven.
Akron started the match off strong, keeping KSU in check with a kill from Shallman to take a slim lead with the score at 9-8. The Flashes scored on four of the next five plays to create a little distance, but UA kept pace when a service ace from Karley Kusan made it a two-point game at 13-11.
The Zips fell behind after a 5-1 and 4-0 run from Kent State gave the Flashes their first look at set point. Shallman and Kusan fired off back-to-back kills to make it 24-17, but a final kill from KSU's Bridget Wilhelm put the first set away for the visitors.
UA grasped an early four-point advantage in the second set at 8-4, thanks to a kill from Dragana Micic. Akron maintained its cushion at 10-6 after a Shallman kill combined with a Kent State attack error to force a KSU timeout.
The Flashes cut it to one on a Zips' attack error but Akron fought back, firing off seven unanswered points behind the serve of Kusan to take a 17-9 lead. The run was highlighted by a sequence of two consecutive Delich kills and one of Kusan's three service aces for the match.
A kill from Kusan gave Akron its first set point opportunity at 24-18, and the Zips would convert three plays later with a Smagacz kill to lock the match at one before the break.
Two Kent State errors would give the Zips a 6-3 lead to start the third set, but the Flashes retaliated to tie the score at 8-all with a service ace as part of a mini 4-0 run. Kent State continued to string together points and would build a lead of seven at 19-12 after a kill from Aderemi-Ibitola. KSU scored on four of the final five sequences to take the third set.
After falling behind 6-2 to start the fourth, Akron rattled off five-straight points to grab a 7-6 advantage on kills from Shallman and Smagacz. The score would tie at seven and again at eight on another Smagacz kill, but Kent State forged ahead with an advantage it would never relinquish. A Delich kill and pair of KSU errors made it a one-point contest at 14-13, but that is as close as Akron would get for the remainder.
The Zips wrap up the 2014 campaign next week on the road. Akron will first travel to face Buffalo on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. in Alumni Arena. UA's final match is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 15 at MAC West foe Ball State. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
