Fort Myers, Fla. – The UMBC volleyball squad (0-2) pushed South Florida (1-1) to the limit, but the Retrievers dropped a 3-2 decision to the Bulls at FGCU's Alico Arena.
South Florida captured sets 1 and 3 by narrow margins of 28-26 and 25-22. UMBC dominated in set 2, prevailing, 25-15, and edged the Bulls, 25-23 in the fourth set. But USF jumped out to an 8-1 lead in the race to 15 and closed the match out with a 15-4 set triumph.
In her second match as a Retriever, graduate student opposite Grace Rigsbee (Suwanee, Ga.) led a balanced attack with 14 kills and a hitting percentage of 40.0. Sophomore setter Aysia Miller (Mililiani, Hawaii) produced 42 assists and 19 digs for UMBC, while graduate student libero Loren Teter (Redondo Beach, Calif.) recorded 25 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- A tandem block by Emily Ferketic (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Mila Ilieva (Vidin, Bulgaria) gave UMBC a 17-11 lead in the first set and an Ilieva kill kept the Retrievers ahead, 20-16. But the Bulls scored five straight points to take a 21-20 lead. UMBC had two set points and staved off one before USF used a pair of tandem blocks in a game-ending 3-0 run to prevail, 28-26.
- UMBC committed only one hitting error and never trailed in the second set. After leading 12-10, they outscored USF, 13-5, to coast to victory. Senior outside hitter Paige Krenik (Foothill Ranch, Cailf.) contributed four kills in the set.
- Trailing 22-16 in the third set, UMBC closed to within 24-22, but could not complete the rally. USF recorded a match-best seven blocks in the third set.
- With the score tied at 22-all, Rigsbee converted a kill and USF committed an attack error on the ensuing point. After an exchange of points, UMBC sophomore Beste Ayhan (Istanbul, Turkey) recorded the put-away to send the match to a decider.
- UMBC could not get untracked, dropping 10 of the first 11 points, as USF hit 73.3 percent (11/15) in the final stanza.
OTHER NOTES
- Krenik nearly posted a double-double with 12 kills and nine digs.
- Ilieva paced the team with six blocks.
- UMBC outhit USF, 20.4-19.0 percent and recorded more digs, 83-72. The Retrievers also only committed three service errors in the match.
