UAlbany Volleyball Battles But Falls in Pair of Four-Setters in Ball State Active Ankle Challenge
UAlbany @ Ball State: Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
UAlbany vs. New Mexico: Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
MUNCIE, Ind. – Despite winning set one in its first match and recovering to win set three in the next contest, the UAlbany volleyball team fell in a pair of four-set matches to Ball State (25-22, 20-25, 20-25, 19-25) and New Mexico (10-25, 20-25, 28-26, 13-25) to open the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge.
“We played some very good competition today, and there are a lot of little things we need to improve on that add up to not getting critical points,” said UAlbany coach MJ Engstrom. “Overall, our offense has to be more terminal, and we'll get better at that in the next few weeks.”
Shannon Hurley and Laini Leindecker each combined for 16 kills for UAlbany (0-2), with the latter adding 29 digs. Amanda Dolan had 13 kills and eight blocks while libero Nicole Otero finished with 28 digs. Otero was one of five freshmen who saw the floor for the first time on Friday as collegiate players.
“The freshmen are doing a good job for the heavy responsibility we are putting on them,” said Engstrom. “The team is excited about getting back on the court tomorrow to show that they have learned some lessons today.”
Against UAlbany, two players got double-doubles for Ball State (1-0): Alex Fuelling finished 18 kills and 14 digs while Bailey Baumer got 15 kills and 12 digs. Devanne Sours led New Mexico (2-0) with a double-double of 16 kills and 11 digs. Julia Warren also had a double-double of 11 kills and 14 digs.
After BSU got off to a 3-1 lead in set one, UAlbany won four of the next five, including two blocks from Chloe Lamb, to take a 5-4 lead. The sides went back and forth, with Hurley earning kills to keep UAlbany close. At 14-14, BSU took the lead with two-straight kills from Baumer to go up 16-14, later leading 19-15 after a couple of combo blocks from Amanda Raker and Jessica Lindsey. UAlbany rallied with a 3-0 run, capped by two Lamb kills, to pull within one. At 20-18, a Hurley kill sent Gabrielle Hansen back to serve. Hansen notched an ace, then a Kelly Hopkins attack error and Lamb kill gave UAlbany the lead 22-20. The home team got back to within one at 23-22. Dolan earned a kill in the middle to set up game point, then blocked a Baumer attack to seal the comeback as UAlbany took set one 25-22.
The home team started the first set on a 3-0 run, later leading 5-2. UAlbany took the next four off three BSU attack errors and a dump kill by Mikala McCauley to lead 6-5. The two teams kept exchanging points, as UAlbany used Hurley kills to counter kills from BSU's Fuelling. Two BSU errors helped UAlbany tie the set up 14-14. The Cardinals got the next four points, capped by two Raker kills, to lead 18-14. A service error and McCauley solo block brought UAlbany back within two, repeating the process again with a Hurley kill as UAlbany trailed 19-17. BSU won five of the final seven points to get set two 25-20 and even the match.
After the break, against Ball State took an early lead, going up 4-2. A BSU service error and an ace by Paula Pinto tied the set up as the teams exchanged points for a while, as the Cardinals would take a small lead, then UAlbany would counter and tie up the game. Two Leindecker kills tied up the set at 12-12. The home team, helped by three Baumer kills, got four of the next five points to lead 16-13. A Dolan kill helped UAlbany pull back to within one at 17-16. Kati Vasalakis's serving fueld BSU to a 4-0 run to make it 21-16. Lamb contributed a couple of late kills, but the deficit was not made up as BSU took set three 25-20 to go up 2-1 in the match.
A couple of Leindecker kills gave UAlbany the lead 4-3 in the fourth game. At 4-4, a Dolan kill sparked a 3-0 run for a 7-4 UAlbany advantage. Ball State tied it up at seven, to which UAlbany countered with kills from McCauley and Tatum Jungsten to go back ahead 9-7. Against BSU tied it, and again UAlbany responded with two kills and a Hansen ace to push ahead 12-9. UAlbany and Ball State traded points off until at 15-13, Fuelling earned a kill and served for four-consecutive won points, putting the Cardinals up 18-15. Leindecker stopped the run with the kill as UAlbany used two BSU attack errors to tie the set back up at 18-18. Ball State finished by winning seven of the final eight points, including six kills, to take the set 25-19 and win the match in four.
UAlbany looked to change its fortunes in match two of the day. Set one started with New Mexico getting five of the first six points and 15 of the first 18 to lead 15-3. UAlbany stopped the run after a couple of UNM errors, but a later 4-0 run by New Mexico effectively sealed set one, which the Lobos won 25-10.
Jungsten notched a kill to start UAlbany on the right foot in set one as the Great Danes led 3-1 early. New Mexico went ahead with five of the following six points for a 6-4 advantage. At 7-5, a 3-0 UAlbany run, capped by an Otero service ace, made it 8-7 Great Danes. Cassie House earned a kill and served UNM through a 4-0 run. The two sides went back and forth until Emily Lopes served UAlbany back to a tie at 17-17. UNM got back the lead with four-straight to go up 21-17. UAlbany got back to within two after a Hurley kill and Sours error, but the Lobos held the lead and won 25-20 to go to 2-0 in the match.
Down 2-0 in the first couple of points, serving from Hansen and Otero helped UAlbany win seven of the next eight points for a 7-3 lead in set three. The game saw multiple runs as UNM took three in row, then UAlbany, including two Leindecker kills, took five of the next six for a 12-7 advantage. The teams kept giving up pairs of points until at 18-14, the Lobos won three and pulled within one at 18-17. UAlbany built its lead back to three off kills from Jungsten and Hurley to go up 21-18, later leading 23-20. The Lobos got three back to tie the set at 23. The teams exchanged as UAlbany would get a one-point lead, then the Lobos would stop set point. At 26-26, Jungsten earned a kill to set up another game point. McCauley earned the next kill to give the set to UAlbany 28-26 and make it 2-1 in the match.
In set four, Warren's serving and kills from Sours gave New Mexico a game-opening 11-0 run, later being 15-2. At 18-6, UAlbany tried to fight back as Hurley notched a kill and Jungsten served a pair of aces for a 3-0 run. The Lobos got six of the next seven to set up set point. UAlbany defended twice, including a Hansen ace, but fell to New Mexico 25-13 and in the match 3-1.
Tomorrow, UAlbany takes on Belmont at 4 p.m. in the final day of the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge.
