The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Drake
Volleyball falls to Drake, takes down Austin Peay in tournament finale
September 06 | Women's Volleyball
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AKRON, Ohio -- Akron wrapped up its own non-conference tournament on a high note Saturday night, earning a split against Drake and Austin Peay.
The Zips fell to Drake in their early session in a tight four-set match (20-25, 25-15, 23-25, 21-25), but were able to rebound in fine fashion in a straight-set win over Austin Peay in the tournament finale (25-20, 25-18, 27-25).
Akron finished its Invitational with a 3-1 record and a 5-3 overall mark through the first two weeks of competition.
Amanda Bedell continued her offensive prowess for Akron on day two, totaling 22 kills and averaging 3.14 per set over the course of the two matches. Anna Wenger provided a boost from the outside as well, posting 2.43 kills per set.
The offense ran through Ashley Holder once again, as the setter collected her third straight double-double and dished out 10.14 assists per set on the day.
Bedell and Holder were named to the All-Tournament Team for their weekend performances.
As a team, the Zips really made their mark behind the service line, delivering an impressive 26 aces to their opponents' five. The charge was led by Aubrey Kozer, who tallied seven aces of her own – six of which came in the first two sets against Drake – which ranks sixth all-time in program history for a single match.
Jessica Kloehn was a key player both offensively and defensively against Drake (7-1) issuing a team-high 13 kills and posting four solo blocks combined with five block assists.
Holder picked up her third double-double in as many matches, racking up 40 assists and 15 digs. She was one of three Zips to finish with double-digit digs, joined by Callie Mack with 18 and Kozer with 12. Akron out-dug Drake for the match, 74-62.
Late in the third set, with Drake locked in at set point, the Zips scored four-straight points without a true setter on the floor to put up a strong comeback effort before the Bulldogs sealed it at 25-23.,
UA hit for a season-high .240 percentage as a team against Austin Peay (3-5), courtesy of the one-two punch of Bedell (11 kills) and Wenger (10 kills). Callie Mack kept the Zips alive from the back row, coming up with a new personal-best 23 digs.
The Zips created distance from the Lady Govs late in each of the first two sets to take a 2-0 lead into the break. The third frame featured nine lead changes and a total of 21 tie scores, making for an exciting back-and-forth contest. Each team held off the other from set point until Akron broke free with three-straight points, including back-to-back aces at the hands of Brenna Mack, to close the book on the match.
The Zips will return to the court on Saturday, Sept. 13, when they travel to Lincoln, Neb. for the Ameritas Players Challenge, with two matches against Denver and Colgate.
