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Volleyball Drops Season-Opener to Buffalo, 3-0
8/26/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BOX SCORE (.html)
BOX SCORE (.pdf)
HAMILTON, N.Y. - The Seton Hall volleyball team dropped its season-opener to Buffalo, 3-0 (29-27, 25-23, 25-22), at the Colgate Classic on Friday. The Pirates will face the host Red Raiders on Saturday, August 27, at noon to wrap up the tournament.
Senior Meghan Matusiak (Winfield, Ill.) led the team with nine kills. Sophomore Alyssa Warren (Joliet, Ill.) had 14 digs.
After a slow start by both teams in the opening set, the Bulls eventually jumped ahead, 9-6. Seton Hall eventually climbed back and took its first lead of the match, 13-12, off an attack error by Buffalo. The Pirates stayed in front by a slim margin, but could not pull away. The Bulls regained the lead, 22-21, on a Carlissa McKenna kill only to see SHU rattle off two straight to take control once again.
The Pirates had four chances to close out the set before falling behind, 28-27, after a block by McKenna and Liz Scott. An SHU attack error gave Buffalo the 1-0 edge on its first opportunity to take the frame.
The insertion of junior Morgan DeVries (Grand Rapids, Mich.) to start the second set provided a spark as the Pirates jumped out to a 6-2 cushion after a pair of kills and a block by the middle blocker. The Bulls would later use a 6-0 spurt to go ahead, 16-13, however Seton Hall took three of the next four points to even things at 17 apiece. After two more lead changes, Buffalo went ahead 24-22, and an Abby Niekamp kill to finish off the set put the Pirates in a 0-2 hole.
Set three was also closely contested with neither team leading by more than two points. With the score tied 19-19, a Niekamp kill coupled with an SHU attack error gave the Bulls all the cushion they would need as they took the set, 25-22, to complete the sweep.
For Buffalo, Niekamp had a match-high 16 kills, while McKenna racked up eight blocks.
