NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y.. ? The University of South Florida volleyball team split matches on its opening day of the Western New York Invitational, losing to Buffalo, 3-2 (28-30, 30-23, 25-30, 31-29, 15-8), and defeating Niagara, 3-0 (30-19, 30-23, 30-16), on Saturday.
In the first match of the day, USF and Buffalo traded games with each other until Buffalo took control in the deciding fifth game and won. After Buffalo jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the fifth set, the Bulls cut the deficit down to two points on three occasions, but couldn't come any closer.
Although both team's offense struggled at times in the match, Buffalo out-hit the Bulls .140 to .113.
USF saw some solid production from its players on the court, with three posting double digit kills and four registering 10-plus digs. Sophomore Marcela Gurgel and senior Kristina Fabris each tallied double-doubles against Buffalo. Gurgel had a team-high 17 kills and 15 digs, while Fabris had 14 kills and 12 digs.
Junior Nakia Williams posted a career-high 10 kills and led the Bulls with eight block assists.
Defensively, sophomores Jarka Havlickova and Alli Arbogast each chipped in five block assists, setting career highs.
“Buffalo was a disappointing loss,” coach Claire Lessinger said. “We definitely had the ?first match' jitters and couldn't put together strings of consistency. We lost an opportunity to close the match out in the fourth game and then paid the price when Buffalo came out to a fast lead in the fifth. We went with what we feel is our strongest, most physical line up, but because of a breakdown in our serve reception we weren't able to utilize it and became very one dimensional. Jarka gave us a huge lift off the bench in game three. She had some big plays that helped us gain momentum. Nakia Williams was our most consistent player in this match putting up great numbers on offense and defense.”
In USF's second match of the day, the Bulls offense got off to a quick start and scored early and often. Niagara could not equal USF's offensive production and the Purple Eagles didn't have a defensive answer in the loss.
On the night, USF out-hit Niagara .304 to .042, and the Bulls netted 40 kills to the Purple Eagles' 28.
“I was proud of the team and how they responded to our heartbreaking loss earlier in the day,” Lessinger said. “We went with a line-up that consisted of all returners to see if we could increase the amount of experience on the floor and regain our identity and personality. We played with lots of emotion, which was fun to see. We also had a great offensive night, with Marcela and Nakia putting up very impressive numbers. Our overall efficiency improved and allowed us to control the pace and tempo of the match. This match helped us regain confidence going into tomorrow.”
From the start, the Bulls took control of the match. Game one featured only one tie score and lead change. Game two was the closest, 30-23, and the score was equaled on nine occasions and the lead changed hands four times. The Bulls closed out game three for the sweep in dominant fashion, never relinquishing the advantage.
Gurgel led the way for USF again, recording a team-high 16 kills and 11 digs for the lone double-double.
Pacing the way for all players was Williams, who hit .500 in the outing.
The Bulls conclude the tournament on Sunday when they face Fordham at 12:30 p.m.
