Bucknell University
4-3,0-0Patriot
Niagara
2-6,0-0MAAC
Volleyball Opens Weekend with Five-Set Victory Over Niagara
9/10/2021 8:04:00 PM | Volleyball
ITHACA, N.Y. – Bucknell volleyball trailed 2-1 in sets and battled back with wins in the fourth and fifth to defeat Niagara in the team's opening match of the Cornell Invitational on Friday. It was Bucknell's second five-set victory of the season, and the team moved above .500 at 4-3 with the win.
Sophomore Catherine Jamison led all Bison with 15 kills, six block assists and a .303 hitting percentage in an all-around impressive outing. Junior Lisa Zoch achieved her third double-double of the season with 11 kills and a career-best 18 digs as well. As a team, Bucknell posted a season-high 10 total blocks with eight different Bison getting in on the action.
After a brief 3-2 Niagara lead in the opening set, Bucknell went on a 10-0 run to gain serious separation from the Purple Eagles at 12-3. Niagara followed up with runs of 6-0 and 4-0 to remain in the fight, but the Bison were able to deny the comeback and held on to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
The next two sets went to the Purple Eagles as they hit .214 and .314 over the middle frames. The Bison trailed 22-18 in the second before going on a 4-1 run to cut the deficit to 23-22, but it wouldn't be enough. After falling behind 11-2 in the third, Bucknell fought its way back to a 24-21 score before ultimately dropping the set and falling behind 2-1 in the match.
The fourth set, which ended up being Bucknell's largest margin of victory on the day, saw the Bison jump out to a 5-2 lead. The Bison would keep a steady 3-point lead throughout the set until seven straight points in the middle portions put the team up 20-11. All told, Bucknell finished the fourth on a 12-1 run to force a fifth set for a second time this season.
Bucknell never trailed in the fifth after capturing the first four points in a row, making it a 16-1 run going back to the previous set. The Purple Eagles tied the fifth at 7-7 and again at 11-11, but two Niagara errors and two Jamison kills gave the Bison the set win and match victory.
Setter Sarah Ramirez recorded 40 assists in the match, and the sophomore has now had 40 or more in three matches this season. Allie Lopez finished second on the team with five block assists, while rookie Jen Sivak was third with four. Sivak's fellow first-year Amanda Tesserot was second on the team in digs (12), and Thea Rotto posted a team-best three service aces.
Bucknell is back in action tomorrow with two more matches at the Cornell Invitational. The Bison open the day at 1 p.m. with a tough match against UNLV, which defeated 25th ranked Washington State last weekend, beat fellow Patriot League member Colgate on Wednesday, and swept Niagara earlier in the day on Friday. Bucknell then challenges tournament host Cornell at 5 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
