Marshall University Athletics
Miami Ends Marshall' Four Match Win Streak
10/25/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Miami Ends Marshall?s Four Match Win Streak
10/25/2002
Oxford, Ohio--The Marshall Thundering Herd volleyball team lost in three games Friday night to the Miami University RedHawks, 3-0 (31-29, 30-27, 30-26). Marshall falls to 15-6, 6-2 in conference play, while Miami improved to 8-14, 3-7 in the MAC.
?The dedication this past week and a half has slipped a little, and I hope that we can regroup against Ball State tomorrow night,? said Marshall head coach Mitch Jacobs. ?However, the bottom line was that Miami was great tonight.?
The Herd trailed most of the night against Miami, but also had a few key opportunities to come out of Oxford with a victory. Marshall would fight back from early deficits and take a lead in every one of the three games Friday night, but failed to put the RedHawks away when the opportunity arose.
Game one was dominated by Miami early, as the RedHawks took an 11-4 lead, including eight in a row at one point. But, in what has been the case all season, the Thundering Herd fought back, and on a ball handling error by the ?Hawks? Susan Poll, Marshall tied the game at 19. Miami scored the next four to go up 23-19, but the Thundering Herd took the next five out of six to tie the score at 24. The ?hotseat? returned for the Herd, and on the 57th point of the game, Marshall capitalized on an attack error by Miami?s Megan Clark to take their first lead of the match, 29-28. However, in a stunning turn of events, Miami took the next three to take the first game 31-29.
The second game was much like the first, as Miami jumped on the Herd early and often. But, also like the first game, Marshall came storming back to make a game out of it. Marshall trailed 17-12, but took the lead ten points later 20-19 on a Megan Clark ball handling error. The Thundering Herd could not hold on to the lead, as Miami finished off the Herd 30-27.
Marshall trailed game three until the 46th point, when Nicole Michal (Louisville, Ky.) put down a kill to tie the game at 23. It was Miami?s night, however, as they outscored Marshall 7-3 to close out the match.
Marshall was led by Michal, who had 16 kills and a .371 hitting percentage (16-3-35). Junior Tracey King (Miami, Fla.) was the only other Herd player in double figures with 11. Isabelle Anderer (Sinsheim, Germany) led Marshall defensively with a match-high 14 digs, while Katie Stein (Sussex, Wis.) had 40 assists.
Susan Poll led the RedHawks with 16 kills, while Kelly McCullough had 11 kills. Megan Clark had 45 assists.
The Thundering Herd try to regroup against Ball State tomorrow night in Muncie, Indiana. That match tips off at 7 p.m. central time.