Zips Drop Five-Set Battle to Ball State in Season Finale

Saturday, November 10

Muncie, IN

7 PM

University of Akron

11-16 (3-13MAC)

Ball State

21-8 (12-4MAC)

Akron

Ball State

Zips Drop Five-Set Battle to Ball State in Season Finale

November 10 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

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BOX SCORE (PDF)

MUNCIE, Ind. – The University of Akron volleyball team was edged by Ball State in its season finale, 3-2 (21-25, 16-25, 25-17, 25-17, 11-15), on Saturday night at Worthen Arena.

"I can't say enough about our resiliency and effort tonight. We unfortunately came up short," said head coach Tom Hanna. "Being down two nothing to the number three team in the league and fight back to earn a fifth set says a lot about this group. Most teams don't fight to stay in that match and we did."

Akron completed its season 11-16 overall and 3-13 in Mid-American Conference action. Ball State finished 21-8, 12-4 MAC, earning the No. 3 seed in the MAC Tournament.

Juniors Ashley Richardson (Doylestown, Ohio) and Elya Karsner (Frankfort, Ky.) paced the Zips with 15 kills each, while senior Kayla Gwozdz (Temperance, Mich.) wasn't far behind with 12 kills. Richardson also held a team-best hitting clip of .353. Sophomore Emily Weigand (Burton, Ohio) recorded 45 assists, while also adding a service ace.

Sophomore Taylor Sharrits (Concord, Ohio) led with 15 digs, while Richardson and freshman Teagan Ochaya (Mentor, Ohio) added five blocks apiece.

Ball State got off to a quick 4-2 lead in the first set, but a kill by Karsner and two Cardinal errors gave the Zips a 5-4 advantage. The teams traded points with the score being tied on eight occasions before settling at 15-all. A series of short runs gave Ball State a 20-16 advantage. A late 4-1 run by the Zips cut the deficit to one point, but the Cardinals answered with a run of their own to take the set, 25-21.

The second set sat locked at 3-3 after an exchange of points. An 8-1 run by Ball State would prove to be an early game changer as Akron never gained the lead for the remainder of the set, resulting in the Cardinals winning set two, 25-16.

Akron gained momentum in the third, taking an early 8-6 advantage. Ball State came back to tie the set at 9-9, but it didn't last long as a 6-2 run set the Zips ahead once again. Akron would only build on its lead from there, and a kill from Karsner sealed a 25-17 third set win for the Zips.

Back-to-back service aces helped Akron to an early 6-1 lead to open up the fourth set. Akron continued on its run as a kill by freshman Mahogany Vinson (Richton Park, Ill.) made it 14-8. An 11-13 run gave the Cardinals a 19-17 edge. The teams exchanged leads until they were tied at 23-all. A kill from Gwozdz and a Cardinal attacking error gave the Zips a 25-23 victory in the fourth to force a fifth set.

Ball State gained an early 5-1 lead in the final set. The Zips had a late run thanks to kills from Karsner and Richardson, but it wasn't enough as a kill by Ball State's Sydnee Vanbeek sealed the win for the Cardinals with a 15-11 third set victory.

"I'm certainly disappointed we couldn't find one more win for this team and our seniors in particular," Hanna said. "However, we've proven we can run with every team in this league and with 13 returning players, I feel like we're well positioned for the future."