The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
8-13,3-6MAC
Ball State
15-6,6-4MAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | 17 | 17 | 26 | 25 | 10 | 2 |
| Ball St. | 25 | 25 | 24 | 19 | 15 | 3 |
October 23 | Women's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. – The University of Akron volleyball team rallied to win the third and fourth sets but fell to Ball State in five sets, 3-2, in Mid-American Conference action Friday night at Worthen Arena. The Cardinals claimed the opening two sets before the Zips responded to force a deciding fifth set. Ball State won by scores of 25-17, 25-17, 24-26, 19-25 and 15-10.
Akron finished with 60 kills, seven service aces and five total blocks. Chidera Ozoh led the Zips with 16 kills while hitting .438, while Lyndi Wolf and Jessie Musselman added 12 kills apiece. Vanessa Del Real paced the defense with 18 digs.
Akron moved to 8-13 overall and 3-6 in MAC play, while Ball State improved to 15-6 overall and 6-4 in conference action. The match drew 1,068 fans to Worthen Arena.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Ball State took control early, winning the first set 25-17. Akron recorded seven kills and committed seven attack errors, while the Cardinals hit .212 to take the opening frame.
The Cardinals carried that momentum into the second set, hitting .423 with 12 kills and just one attack error to earn another 25-17 decision and take a 2-0 match lead.
Akron responded in the third set with its strongest offensive performance of the match. The Zips recorded 19 kills and hit .325, holding off Ball State late to claim a 26-24 victory and extend the match.
The Zips continued their comeback in the fourth set, recording 16 kills while hitting .317. Akron limited the Cardinals to a .205 hitting percentage and secured a 25-19 win to force a fifth set.
In the deciding frame, Ball State edged ahead with 10 kills and a .300 hitting percentage. Akron recorded four kills, and the Cardinals closed out the match with a 15-10 set victory.
GAME NOTES
Ozoh leads the attack: Chidera Ozoh recorded a team-high 16 kills on 32 attacks, hitting .438. She also added one solo block and four block assists for five total blocks and 19 points.
Wolf delivers 12 kills: Lyndi Wolf finished with 12 kills on 32 attacks and hit .313.
Musselman adds 12 kills: Jessie Musselman also recorded 12 kills, adding one assist and four digs.
Aprati contributes offensively: Noelle Aprati finished with eight kills and two service aces.
Christensen directs the offense: Clara Christensen led Akron with 30 assists and added nine digs.
Prascevic adds 18 assists: Masa Prascevic recorded 18 assists and six digs.
Del Real leads defensively: Vanessa Del Real paced the Zips with 18 digs and added three service aces.
Chausse contributes at the service line: Reilly Chausse recorded two service aces and 10 digs.
Comeback effort: After dropping the first two sets, Akron won the third and fourth sets to force a deciding fifth frame.
Third-set surge: Akron recorded a match-best 19 kills in the third set, hitting .325.
BY THE NUMBERS
60 – Akron kills in the match.
.208 – Akron's team hitting percentage.
16 – Kills by Chidera Ozoh, a team high.
.438 – Ozoh's hitting percentage.
12 – Kills each by Lyndi Wolf and Jessie Musselman.
5 – Total blocks by Ozoh.
30 – Assists by Clara Christensen.
18 – Assists by Masa Prascevic.
18 – Digs by Vanessa Del Real.
10 – Digs by Reilly Chausse.
7 – Akron service aces.
19 – Akron kills in the third set.
.325 – Akron's hitting percentage in the third set.
UP NEXT
Akron continues its road swing Saturday, Oct. 24, at Miami. First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. in Oxford, Ohio.
