Bulls women dig into new season

Junior Jenna Map?(c) set and broke her own career marks as the UB women's volleyball team split its first two matches of the season last week.

Map?(c) opened the season with a career high eight kills, teaming with fellow junior Nikki Morzenti to lead the Bulls to a 3-0 win over the Marist Red Foxes. It only took one game for Map?(c) to shatter her personal best, recording 16 kills in a 3-1 loss to the Albany Great Danes (2-0).

The Bulls (1-1) had a sluggish start at Marist (0-2) on Friday, falling behind the Red Foxes 5-1 in the first game. The Bulls rallied to tie the game at 11-11, eventually holding off the Red Foxes for a 30-26 win. The second game stayed close, with Marist keeping pace until the Bulls ended the game on a 15-3 run, winning 30-18. The Bulls dominated the third game to finish off the sweep. Outside hitter Morzenti led the Bulls with 10 kills and nine digs.

On Saturday in Albany, American East Champion Great Danes edged the Bulls in a deceptively close match. The first game had the Bulls take an early lead, but the Great Danes rallied to take the match 30-22. The Bulls took an early lead again in the second game, this time holding on to win, 30-25. Albany won the third game on two UB errors, 31-29. Albany took the last game, 30-21, ending the match. Morzenti and junior Lauren Burd joined Map?(c) with double-digit kills. Burd also tallied a career high with 11 kills.

First year head coach Jim Lodes said the team's solid opening against Marist and especially Albany is a huge confidence boost for a team that had a tough campaign last year.

"Albany won the America East the past two years - to play them well was a good sign," said Lodes. "We'd always like to come away with a victory, but competing well against a team that's going to have a great year shows we can compete. We have a lot of upside and growth."

Lodes said a lot of that growth showed when the team recovered from a sloppy start against Marist.

"I was pleased that with a slow start we were able to turn it around and play really well at the end of game one. We got into a good rhythm," said Lodes.

Map?(c) said the team's tough start was a result of early season jitters.

"In the first game there are those little nerves that you have, getting all that stuff out," said Map?(c). "It took a couple plays to get back to just playing volleyball."

Play volleyball is exactly what Map?(c) did. After a solid game at Marist, Map?(c) went to Albany and immediately got into a groove, not even realizing how good her game was.

"I had no idea after the Albany game how many kills I had - I thought it was maybe ten," said Map?(c). "With club and high school we never really kept stats, so I really don't even care. I just love to play."

According to Lodes, Map?(c)'s emergence is no surprise.

"It wasn't a surprise - it was what we needed," said Lodes. "Teams are going to key in on our center and Nikki (Morzenti). (Map?(c)) is a wild card. When she plays well we're a completely different team."

The Bulls hope to ride last weekend's solid opening performance as they play in front of a home crowd at the Western New York Invitational Tournament. Their first game will be on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Alumni Arena against Maryland-Eastern Shore.