You could hear a pin drop in Alumni Arena after Akron's game-winning spike in game four sent this volleyball match into a decisive fifth game.
The Bulls (9-15, 3-7 Mid-American Conference) had a 2-1 advantage going into that fourth game, and rallied back from a 14-8 deficit to finally tie the game at 21 with the third of three consecutive kills by Lindsay Matikosh.
After a controversial call was over-turned, Akron took a 23-22 lead. Molly Schrantz got one of her 17 kills to tie the game at 23, and Brandie Clark followed to give the Bulls a one-point lead.
Akron was able to fight back to tie the game at 27, when Lindsay Matikosh came up big again with a big kill to bring the team two points from a victory in the game and the match.
Akron was again able to come back and this time took the lead 29-28. Head coach Sally Kus called a timeout and told the team simply to "stay aggressive."
The team was unable to do so, as Akron came out strong after the timeout and spiked away the Bulls' big game-four come back.
In the fifth game, the Bulls came out flat, going down 3-0 early. Kus called a timeout, saying, "You can't get down more than three points in a game."
UB fought back valiantly in the fifth game, but in the end they could not pull out the victory.
"We played four hard games and didn't win the fifth," Kus said.
The Bulls came out a little slow, losing the first game 30-25, they won the second game 26-30 and the third as well, 28-30, but they were unable to win the fourth or fifth games, losing by scores of 30-28 and 15-7 respectively.
UB was not ready for the fifth game of this match, even though according to Kus, "The fifth game is usually ours."
The Bulls next play at Central Michigan and their next home game is November 7, against Ohio. There is going to be a ceremony before that game, as it is going to be the last home game for Lindsay Matikosh and Alexis Bouie.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
