The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Harvard
Zips rally from 2-0 deficit, take down Harvard in 5 sets
September 08 | Women's Volleyball
AKRON, OH --The Akron volleyball team fought back from a 2-0 deficit to secure a comeback five-set victory (30-32, 22-25, 25-16, 25-20, 15-10) over the Harvard Crimson Friday at home at James A Rhodes Arena for the home opener victory.
The out-of-conference win improved Akron's overall record to 4-4 on the season.
The Zips offense was paced by Faith Johnson, who finished with 27 kills on the day while accumulating a hitting percentage of .310. Lauren Baker added 11 kills while Ellen Kinnaird and Karleighana Jones chipped in with 10 more each as part of a Akron attack that had four players with double-digit kills. Eliska Vytiskova also pitched in with six aces in the contest. The Zips got 20 digs from Vanessa Del Real to lead them defensively.
Game Notes
» Akron dropped the first two sets of the match before rallying to win the final three.
» Akron had four players in double figures in kills.
» Karleighana Jones was efficient in attacking situations in the match, accumulating 10 kills while hitting .500.
» Eliska Vytiskova had a match-high six aces in the win.
» Akron never trailed on the way to winning the final three sets (25-16, 25-20, 15-10).
» Akron served up three aces on the way to a fifth-set victory.
» Faith Johnson had a match-high 27 kills for Akron.
» Akron got a match-high 20 digs from Vanessa Del Real.
» Akron attackers were helped by a match-high 59 assists from Eliska Vytiskova.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Zips lost set one 32-30 despite a solid showing on the attacking side. Akron put together a .306 attack percentage with 20 kills in the set loss.
SET 2 | A 25-22 second-set loss put Akron behind 2-0 in the match. The Zips couldn't survive a furious Harvard rally in the second set, falling after leading by seven points at 14-7 earlier in the set.
SET 3 | Akron rallied back to pull within one set, winning their first set of the match in the third stanza. The Zips led from the first point on in the set to secure a 25-16 victory. Akron opened up as much as a 10 point lead at 21-11 before finishing off the set, collecting 16 kills along the way. The Akron offense also got a boost from three aces in the stanza.
SET 4 | Akron then kept the comeback train rolling, winning the fourth set 25-20 to bring the match level at two sets apiece. A strong showing on the attacking end led the Zips to victory in the set. Akron put together a .321 attack percentage with 12 kills in the set win. The Zips ended on a strong note, stretching their lead to its largest point in the set to finish out the stanza. Akron also supplemented their offense with three aces in the set.
SET 5 | Akron dropped the first two sets, but mounted an epic comeback to win the final three sets, culminating in a 15-10 fifth-set victory, and took the match 3-2. The Zips led from the opening point on in the fifth set to earn the victory. Akron opened up as much as a six point lead at 13-7 before finishing off the set. Akron also supplemented their offense with three aces in the final set.
