Volleyball Loses to Ohio
KENT, Ohio -- The Kent State volleyball team lost to Ohio today (Oct. 28), 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 13-25, 18-25), in a Mid-American Conference East Division match at the M.A.C. Center.
Junior Liva Brivule (Riga, Latvia) and sophomore Meredith Paskert (Brecksville, Ohio) each recorded 11 kills to pace Kent State's offense. Freshman Aleksandra Nowak (Damnica, Poland) led the Golden Flashes (10-16, 3-8 MAC) with 30 set assists. Sophomore Kathy Krupa (Burbank, Ill.) guided the defensive charge with a team-high six blocks (six assisted) while senior Lauren Jones (Kentwood, Mich.) contributed 12 digs.
The Flashes and Bobcats (14-10, 6-5 MAC) exchanged punches throughout much of the first set. Two kills and a service ace by Nowak, two kills by Paskert and Krupa and double blocks by senior Celia Sabo (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and junior Maigan Larsen (Lancaster, Wis.) and Paskert and Krupa helped Kent State match Ohio point-for-point and keep things even at 19 all. A kill and a service ace put the Bobcats up by two at 21-19 and forced a Kent State timeout. Three more kills put Ohio on the brink of the set win, but a kill by Paskert and a service ace by Nowak pushed Ohio to call timeout with a 24-22 lead. That's as close as Kent State got, though, as Ohio took the match lead with a kill.
Kent State came out on the attack in the second set, opening with a 6-2 lead thanks in large part to double blocks by Larsen and Krupa and Krupa and Brivule. Ohio pulled to within three at 11-8, but kills by Paskert, Krupa and senior Kristen Barr (Bowling Green, Ohio) extended Kent State's advantage to six and forced an Ohio timeout. The Bobcats answered and pulled within four at 19-15 to push the Golden Flashes into talking things over. A 6-2 run put Ohio within one at 22-21, but back-to-back kills by Brivule and one by Paskert tied the match for the Golden Flashes.
The Bobcats roared back in the third set, taking an 18-8 lead. The Flashes got within six points at 18-12, but a 7-1 run gave Ohio the 2-1 match lead.
The fourth set had a similar feel to the first as the two squads traded points. Three kills by Brivule and Paskert, two by Nowak, a service ace by Larsen and double blocks by Krupa and Nowak, Larsen and Sabo and Brivule and Krupa helped keep the score even at 17-all. The Bobcats took control from then on, though, ending the match on a 7-1 run.
The Golden Flashes are back in action 7:30 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 30) at the M.A.C. Center.
