The women's tennis team has proven to be most comfortable with its back up against the wall. The squad will be underdogs throughout the Mid-American Conference Tournament. After a 10-0 start to the season, the Bulls (13-4, 4-4 MAC) met adversity.
When senior linebacker Khalil Mack watched senior running back Branden Oliver muff a punt for the White team, giving the Blue squad the ball on the White 20-yard line, one thought went through his head: He wanted to fight Oliver, his training partner and one of his closest friends. "He told me it's kind of difficult being back there and seeing the wind and all that type of stuff taking effect, and it was a windy day," Mack said.
The men's tennis team played for a Mid-American Conference regular season championship on Saturday. The Bulls (9-9, 3-2 MAC) were seeking back-to-back regular season conference titles as undefeated Ball State (16-7, 5-0 MAC) stood in their way, seeking a conference title of its own. Buffalo suffered an early loss in the doubles point and wasn't able to make it up in singles play, as it lost to the Cardinals 4-3. "The trouble came in the doubles, to win in the MAC you have to win the doubles point," said senior Vusa Hove. The doubles point was vital as they went on to split the singles matches 3-3.
After having a strong start to the season, the women's tennis team had a worrying losing skid, driven by injury and bad luck. The Bulls (13-4, 4-4 Mid-American Conference) came out with two wins over the weekend against key MAC rivals, grinding out a 4-3 win over Eastern Michigan (9-13, 4-4 MAC) on Friday and a one-sided 6-1 victory over Toledo (8-11, 2-4 MAC) on Saturday, earning them a spot in the MAC Tournament. The weekend started with difficulty as the bulls took on Eastern Michigan in Yipsilanti, Mich.
What began as a festive day for Buffalo softball, in which four seniors were honored and the team's first game at UB in 21 days, ended in defeat. The Bulls (12-26, 5-9 Mid-American Conference) dropped both games of a doubleheader on Sunday to Northern Illinois (18-26, 7-7 MAC). After a five-game winning streak just a little over a week ago, Buffalo has lost four of its last five games. Junior second baseman Sammi Gallardo and junior Heather Ryder led the Bulls offensively with three hits each in the two games.
The men's tennis team played for a Mid-American Conference regular season championship on Saturday. The Bulls (9-9, 3-2 MAC) were seeking back-to-back regular season conference titles as undefeated Ball State (16-7, 5-0 MAC) stood in their way, seeking a conference title of its own. Buffalo suffered an early loss in the doubles point and wasn't able to make it up in singles play, as it lost to the Cardinals 4-3. "The trouble came in the doubles, to win in the MAC you have to win the doubles point," said senior Vusa Hove. The doubles point was vital as they went on to split the singles matches 3-3.
A local athlete's dream of playing in the National Football League is in the hands of the Buffalo Bills. Former UB point guard Byron Mulkey has another chance to pursue his lifelong dream of playing professional football.
The baseball team has seen its fair share of ups and downs so far this season, and the pattern continued in its two most recent contests - both of which saw the team fall in dramatic fashion. On Wednesday, the Bulls (18-16, 8-4 Mid-American Conference) traveled 15 minutes down Main Street to take on their cross-town rivals, the Canisius Golden Griffins (24-10, 4-5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) in back-to-back seven-inning games.
This Friday, I will be dressed in Rangers attire in the First Niagara Center to watch the blue shirts take on the Buffalo Sabres.
The defensive line was one of the strongest units on the team last season, but after graduating two of the team's top defenders, it has become one of the biggest question marks for the Bulls this year. Senior Colby Way, who started all 12 games and was fifth on the team in tackles, second in sacks and third in tackles for loss, will anchor the Bulls' defensive front. "I expect to see the same things I've been seeing from him since he came here," said head coach Jeff Quinn.
The track and field teams' outdoor season is still young, but both teams already have reason to be optimistic looking toward next month's Mid-American Conference Championships. On Saturday, the Bulls traveled south to Pennsylvania to compete in the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic.
The spring sports season is more than halfway done, and one thing is evident: Buffalo's spring teams are having more success than most teams did in the fall and winter. Some of the teams that compete in the fall and winter might want to try some new ideas.
The weather was not a friend to the softball team over the weekend, as the team played through cold, wet conditions. "It was really, really cold," said head coach Jennifer Teague.
When the doubles pair of senior Vusa Hove and junior Yevgeiny Jason Shkodnik takes the court for play, it's as if they are competing in a chess match. Moving from service box to service box, like a pawn moves from place to place on a chessboard, both switch up formations to confuse opponents. Through their strategies, Hove and Shkodnik set each other up to attack the net and hit blistering shots, making it difficult for the opposition to react. "Doubles is almost like chess," Hove said.
The football team last returned a kick for a touchdown on Sept. 20, 2008. Last season, the return game ranked 12th in the Mid-American Conference in kickoff returns, tallying just 850 yards and zero touchdowns. The return game is still a question mark for the Bulls, with a variety of players capable of returning the ball. Senior Okoye Houton handled kickoffs for the Bulls last year, averaging 19.1 yards on 13 returns, while senior Cordero Dixon returned 10 punts for 31 yards.
On a day when the women's tennis team bid farewell to its lone senior, Tamara Markovic, the emotion made it hard for Buffalo to focus. In the last home match of the season, the Bulls (11-4, 2-4 Mid-American Conference) fell to Akron (16-8, 4-2 MAC), 6-1. "It's an emotional day," said head coach Kristen Ortman.
Senior Vusa Hove is known for being an aggressive, passionate player. He exerts all of his energy into every swing of the racket. Throughout his singles match Friday morning, Hove continuously motioned his arms back and forth - reminding himself to lean forward to attain the most from his powerful form. After every missed point, Hove would pause for a second, illustrate the motion and get right back to work.
Before every game during the football season, senior defensive back Najja Johnson is focused on preparing to take on his opponent. He straps on his shoulder pads, laces up his cleats and makes sure everything looks good.
Lee Nickell approaches life with a lot of energy - it seems no task is too tough for him. During matches, he rarely cracks a smile, focused on every aspect of every volley. His intensity and approach to coaching are what have gained him the respect of his players.
Through 29 games this season, the baseball team has won as many games as the Bulls have in seven of their entire seasons since 2001, when they became a Division I program. But in a season in which the Bulls have finally been able to play consistently well, not much has gone their way. Last Thursday, they practiced outdoors for the first time this season - they have already played 29 games.
Solutions by The State News
