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Box Score (PDF)

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Ohio volleyball team (12-7, 4-2 MAC) defeated Buffalo (5-13, 1-5 MAC), 3-2 (14-25, 26-24, 25-21, 21-25, 16-14), on Saturday evening inside the Alumni Arena.

"We won the right points late in sets and we're glad to come away with an important conference win," head coach Deane Webb said. "It was a tough night for the Bobcats and we struggled on defense. We were outscored for much of the match. After two weekends on the road, we're looking forward to playing in The Convo again next weekend."

Ohio was led by junior opposite Maggie Nedoma (Brook Park, Ohio) with 15 kills. Nedoma had her seventh double-double of the season with 12 digs.

"Maggie (Nedoma) continued her success attacking, leading us in kills again," Webb said.

Sophomore outside hitter/right side Lauren Park (Millersburg, Ohio) posted a season-best 12 kills and hit .207. Freshman outside hitter Olivia Margolies (Galena, Ohio) produced nine kills while redshirt sophomore middle blocker/opposite Dahlias Bouyer (Brownstown, Mich.) posted eight kills and hit .278. Junior middle blocker Tia Jimerson had seven kills.

"Lauren (Park) improved significantly throughout the weekend and ended each match attacking at a high level," Webb added. 

Junior setter Vera Giacomazzi (San Vendemiano, Italy) posted 43 assists and helped Ohio record 54 kills while hitting .211. Buffalo had 73 kills and hit .291 as a team.

Ohio had 11 team blocks and were led by Bouyer with seven (two solo, five assisted). Bouyer had seven blocks last night as well, and she has hit that mark three times this season. Giacomazzi, Jimerson and Nedoma each had four stuffs while Margolies recorded one.

Junior libero Macy Reihing (Lexington, Ky.) had a team-high 18 digs for Ohio. After Nedoma's 12, Giacomazzi posted seven. Senior defensive specialist Meredith Howe (Grand Rapids, Mich.)  and Margolies had six scoops and sophomore outside hitter/defensive specialist Emma Tupa (Brecksville, Ohio) recorded five. The Bobcats had 59 digs while UB had 68.

The Bobcats had six aces as a team, with Nedoma posting a season-high four. Jimerson and Margolies each had one.

Ohio dropped the first set before taking the next two. Buffalo then tied the match with a 25-21 win in the fourth set. In the fifth set, Ohio and Buffalo swapped points until it was 5-5, when Park grabbed back-to-back kills to put OU up, 7-5. Ohio was able to go up 11-8 on a hammer from Margolies and the extended the lead to 13-9 on a Giacomazzi kill. Buffalo was able to tie the set at 14-14 but a service error and attack error gave Ohio the win, 16-14. 

Ohio will return home on Friday, Oct. 18 against Ball State. First serve is set for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.

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