The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
UMBC
Volleyball Earns Split on First Day of Charm City Challenge
September 02 | Women's Volleyball
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Final Stats vs. UMBC | Final Stats vs. Delaware State
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BALTIMORE, Md. – The University of Akron volleyball team split its first two matches at the Charm City Challenge on Friday, Sept. 2, falling to host UMBC, 3-1, before toppling Delaware State in straight sets at RAC Arena.
"We lost a tough match to UMBC where we showed some grit," said head coach Tom Hanna. "The consistency still needs to come around and I think we made that happen against Delaware State tonight. When we manage our details, we can be a solid team"
Senior Amanda Bedell (Hudson, Ohio) tied a career-high of 21 kills as the Zips battled to a four-set decision versus host UMBC, 20-25, 25-23, 18-25, 28-30. Sophomores Patience Brown (Bloomington, Ill.) and Kayla Gwozdz (Temperance, Mich.) both also chipped in 10 kills apiece.
Senior Karley Kusan (Columbus, Ohio) put together a solid performance for Akron with 42 assists and eight digs. Defensively, senior Brenna Mack (Mound, Minn.) paced the Zips with 10 digs.
The Retrievers jumped out to a commanding 6-1 lead in the first set but Akron battled back within three, 18-15, down the stretch. UMBC then tallied four consecutive points, ultimately claiming the first set.
UA returned with something to prove in the second set, taking an early 5-0 control. With the set tied, 17-17, the Zips recorded six straight points to go ahead 23-17. Akron had its first glimpse at set point at 24-20 after a kill by Gwozdz. However, the Retrievers came back within one, 24-23, but a kill from Brown would give the Zips the set.
The third set was a back-and-forth affair as UMBC held on late in the game, scoring three successive points for the win. The Zips fought through 19 tie scores until UMBC broke a 28-all tie with three straight points to take away Akron's chance of triumph.
The Zips had no trouble handling Delaware State in their second match of the day, serving the Hornets a 25-14, 25-13, 25-19 loss.
Akron's offense got the ball rolling early, taking a 14-6 advantage in the first set. UA then strung together four points and eventually captured the set. In the second set, the Zips out-hit Delaware .684 to .077 without recording a single miscue. The third set was the closest, however, UA's defense still held the Hornets to under .150 in the final round to come home with the victory.
Kusan kept DSU guessing by spreading out the offense and dishing out 34 assists while B. Mack contributed 14 digs. Bedell led the way with eight kills en route to hitting .533, followed closely by Brown with seven kills.
The Zips wrap up the Charm City Challenge on Saturday with a single match against Loyola (Md.) at 1:00 p.m. ET at RAC Arena. The Greyhounds also defeated Delaware State in straight sets and play UMBC at 7 p.m. on Friday.
