Volleyball Impresses in 2010

The volleyball program did a complete 180-degree turn when head coach Todd Kress took the reins in 2009. The squad continued its turnaround in 2010 as it posted a solid 18-16 overall record.

The Bulls' strides were evident from the beginning of the season. Buffalo began the season at 6-1 – its best start to the season since 1990. The Bulls ended their non-conference schedule with a 12-4 record, including an undefeated record at home. That non-conference record was the Bulls' best since joining the Mid-American Conference in 1999.

Buffalo received a large amount of help from its freshmen. The first-year players accounted for 544 of the team's 1608 kills.

Arguably the most threatening of these newcomers was freshman hitter Dana Musil. Musil had 16 kills in just her fourth game – against Niagara. She finished the season with a team-high 295 kills.

Kress expects Musil to become an even bigger asset to the program in the upcoming seasons.

"Each year, [the players] are getting better and better," Kress said. "I would hope that Dana puts up even bigger numbers for the program for sure."

The positive momentum and the performance of the freshmen looked to be the perfect combination for the Bulls as they headed into MAC competition in late September. Buffalo started with its first ever MAC-opening win – against Miami (OH), 3-0.

However, the Bulls would see their success dwindle over the next couple of matches. Buffalo dropped four straight matches before winning its first ever match against Ball State, 3-2. The team then fell into a five-match losing streak, its longest skid of the season.

The Bulls bounced back after winning just two matches in October. The squad began its final month of the season by hosting Ohio in what proved to be a thriller. Buffalo overcame an early fifth-set deficit to defeat its rival in front of a frenzied Alumni Arena. The win was the volleyball team's second ever against Ohio, and its first against the Bobcats since 1999.

The Bulls finished 5-11 against the MAC in the regular season. They went on to dominate Akron, 3-0, in the first round of the 2010 MAC tournament before falling, 3-0, in the quarterfinals to the tournament winners, Ohio.

This year's volleyball team looks to bounce back. The Bulls recruited nine talented players to add to six returning athletes on the roster. This group makes Buffalo one of the youngest teams in the nation.

"The adjustment that we'll make with such a big group of newcomers is that we'll have to work on team chemistry and team bonding," Kress said. "You're looking at six returners and nine new faces so that will be the biggest task we'll face for the first few weeks of preseason."

Blocker Abby Niekamp will be the only senior when this year's season starts. She was the Bulls' second-leading striker with 290 kills, and she had the highest kill percentage at .336.

Kress is confident that Niekamp will fill her role perfectly as one of the leaders of the team.

"She's been through this whole process for three years," Kress said. "She knows what the expectations are and she knows what's required. She'll be able to set the standard. Abby brings a lot as far as just saying and doing the right thing."

Kress believes the team has the right mindset to make big steps when the 2011 volleyball season starts.

"This is a very determined and very goal-oriented group," Kress said. "I know that they'll be doing the right things over the summer just to be in the best possible shape and the best possible condition. We expect to hit the ground running in the fall."

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