LOCATION: Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena - Lawrence, Kan.
SHORT STORY: The Great Danes battled in two close matches but ultimately fell to Missouri State, 3-2, and Kansas City, 3-1, in Lawrence, Kansas.
COACH JOSH PICKARD: "The team battled hard today. I'm proud of the job our right sides did in both matches. We are playing some tough competition and battling in every match. We have one more opportunity tomorrow against our host and look forward to playing right from the beginning."
GAME ONE
SCORE: Missouri State 3, UAlbany 2 (25-21, 23-25, 25-23, 19-25, 15-13)
RECORDS: UAlbany 3-7, 0-0 America East | Missouri State 8-2, 0-0 MVC
KEY STATS
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Bears opened strong, tallying a 6-0 lead in the first set before UAlbany earned its first point - a kill from freshman Oren Abutbul.
- Missouri St earned another 10-point run for a 17-4 lead but the Great Danes closed the point gap with two three-point runs, served by freshman Lilou Stegeman and senior Charlotte Macken, and one seven-point run, served by Malea Stanton. Despite UAlbany's scoring runs, the Bears took the first set, 25-21.
- The second set began in a similar fashion with Missouri St. gaining a six-point lead, 12-6.
- A five-point run, served by Macken, and the Great Danes had the score tied at 16. The Bears took the lead once again but UAlbany came back to win the set, 25-23.
- A pattern developed as Missouri St. once again jumped to an early lead, 6-1, in the third set. The Bears continued with their five-point lead into much of the set but the Great Danes would not allow a larger point differential.
- UAlbany brought the third set to within one point, behind 16-15, eventually tying the score at 20 but Missouri St. tallied the third-set win, 25-23.
- The fourth set saw a change in the start as the Great Danes tallied the first two points.
- Outside of an early one-point lead for the Bears, UAlbany held the lead for the entirety of the fourth set, eventually winning, 25-19.
- The fifth set was a back-and-forth battle between the two teams. The Great Danes held the largest lead of the set, 8-3, in the beginning, but the Bears came back to win the set, and the match, 15-13.
GAME TWO
SCORE: Kansas City 3, UAlbany 1 (25-17, 21-25, 25-21, 25-18)
RECORDS: UAlbany 3-8, 0-0 America East | Kansas City 9-2, 0-0 Summit League
KEY STATS
- Freshman Oren Abutbul tallied 13 kills and four blocks to lead the offense and the middle blockers against the Roos.
- Junior Malea Stanton earned 23 assists.
- Senior Charlotte Macken completed a team-high 13 digs.
- Macken and senior Regan Wright served for the team's two service aces.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Great Danes opened the match with the first two points but the Roos went on a six-point run for the lead before UAlbany tied the first set at six.
- Kansas City held a two-point lead for most of the set before winning the first set, 25-17.
- In the second set, playing continued with no more than a two-point lead until the Great Danes scored their 21st point for a three-point lead.
- UAlbany went on to win the set, 25-21.
- The third set was another close one. Play remained back-and-forth for the first eight points for each team but the Roos jumped to an 11-8 lead. Kansas City continued to hold on to the lead before winning the set, 25-21.
- After the Great Danes tallied the first point of the fourth set, the Roos gained a lead they did not give up to win the match.
NEXT: The Great Danes will continue at the Jayhawk Classic tomorrow, September 18. UAlbany will play host, Kansas, at 12 p.m. ET.
For more information on the University at Albany volleyball team, follow the squad's official social media accounts shown below.
Twitter - @ualbanyvb
Instagram - @ualbanyvb
Facebook – facebook.com/UAlbanyVB
