The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
2-5,0-0MAC
Cleveland State
3-4,0-0Horizon
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland St. | 27 | 17 | 25 | 17 | 1 |
| Akron | 29 | 25 | 21 | 25 | 3 |
Zips Earn 3-1 Victory Over Cleveland State in Home Opener at Zips Invitational
September 10 | Women's Volleyball
AKRON, OH -- Akron volleyball team needed just four sets (29-27, 25-17, 21-25, 25-17, 25-17) to beat the Cleveland State Vikings in their home opener and first match of the Zips Invitational at James A Rhodes Arena on Thursday.
The first set proved to be a back-and-forth battle as Akron emerged victorious with consecutive points as Chiara Gennari served up an ace and Lyndi Wolf put the set away with a kill. Wolf finished the match with seven kills, while Gennari accounted for 14.5 points in the match and posted a team-best .250 hitting percentage. Gennari recorded 11 kills, while both players accounted for four of the Zips eight blocks.
The Zips cruised through set two (25-17) and were narrowly edged in the third set (25-21) before cruising to the lopsided  fourth set victory (25-17).
The Zips were led by a double-double from Delaney Gash, who registered 14 kills, 11 digs and an ace for 15 points.. Lauren Wilson also added 15.5 points with a team-high 15 kills and a block to help the attack. Additionally, the Zips dished out serve aces in total as Taylor Donovan registered a team-high three aces.Â
On the defensive end, Vanessa Del Real anchored the defense with 14 digs, while Gennari and Wolf paced the aerial defense.
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Game Notes
» Akron had three players in double figures in kills.
» Taylor Donovan had a match-high three aces in the win.
» Delaney Gash registered a double-double with 14 kills and 11 digs
» Lauren Wilson had a match-high 15 kills for Akron.
» Akron got a match-high 14 digs from Vanessa Del Real.
» Akron attackers were helped by a match-high 33 assists from Masa Prascevic.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Zips came out on top of a close first set, winning 29-27 in a stanza that was tied 12 times and had eight lead changes.
SET 2 | Akron carried momentum from a set-one win by earning a 25-17 victory in set two. The Zips took control of the set lead early on at 6-5 and never trailed. Akron led by as many as nine points at 23-14 before closing out the set.
SET 3 | Cleveland State stayed alive with a set-three win to make it a 2-1 match. The Zips came up short in a back-and-forth battle, losing 25-21 in a set that featured three lead changes and was tied nine times. Neither team had a lead of more than four points along the way.
SET 4 | Akron then responded to claim the match win with a 25-17 set-four victory. The Zips grabbed control of the set at 3-2 and held the lead the rest of the way. Akron ended the stanza on a high note by opening up its biggest lead, eight points, to finish off the set, collecting 16 kills along the way. Akron also supplemented their offense with three aces in the set.
Up Next
The Zips will be back in action at the Zips Invitational on Friday (Sept. 11) at 4 p.m. against Coppin State and again on Saturday (Sept. 12) against Valparaiso at 11 a.m. inside James A. Rhodes Arena.Â
