When junior outside hitter Liz Scott went down for the weekend with a sprained ankle, the volleyball team's perfect record and six-match win streak looked like it might be in jeopardy.
But the Bulls (9-0) rallied around their injured teammate and claimed a tournament title for the third straight weekend.
The Bulls traveled to Atlanta, Ga., to compete in the Georgia State Tournament this past weekend, where they faced some of the toughest competition they have seen all year.
Their first win came against Davidson (6-2), in four sets, 3-1.
"Liz was out for the weekend," said head coach Todd Kress. "So the fact that one of our better players was out and other players had to step up really showed our resiliency."
Senior outside hitter Christine Fritsche was the star of the match with 18 kills to go along with 11 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Tahleia Bishop notched 15 kills to help the Bulls secure the victory.
After winning the first set 25-21, the Bulls dropped the second 25-23 to tie the match at 1. With the pressure on both teams, the Bulls came up big, winning the set 25-16.
"We had to come back from a couple of our sets and gut out wins," Kress said. "It speaks volumes for our team that we could win in the face of adversity."
In their next game, the Bulls were perfect, winning in three straight sets against Central Florida (7-3).
Bishop recorded a match-high 18 kills. Senior setter Dani Reinert set up Bishop and her teammates all game, notching 26 assists.
The Bulls trailed 20-16 in the third set before a late 5-1 run tied it at 21. The team was able to fend off UCF and capture the win.
"We definitely executed our game plan for the Central Florida match," Kress said. "We learned a lot about ourselves this weekend and took a step forward."
In their last match of the tournament, the Bulls had their sights set on staying perfect through another weekend. Their last victory came against the host school, Georgia State (4-7), as Buffalo swept the match in three sets.
It took a collective effort as six players ended the match with six or more points. Sophomore middle blocker Amber Hatchett and senior outside hitter Dana Musil led the Bulls to victory. Hatchett had seven kills and seven blocks, while Musil added eight kills and two aces.
Junior setter Taylor Pritchett and Reinert dished out 18 assists, while senior libero Kelly Svoboda captained the defense, recording 22 digs.
After two straight weekend road trips, the Bulls' next match is just down the road at Canisius (2-8). The match is scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m.
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Photo: Courtesy of Tal Hamel, Endvisionprod
Photo: Paul Hokanson/UB Athletics
