UB volleyball (4-8) finished 2-1 overall in the 2019 Blue and White Classic, concluding its last tournament before conference play starts.
The Bulls split the opening day of the Blue and White Classic, with a sweep of St. Franics (PA) and a 2-3 loss to Cornell in the final matchup of the day Friday.
On Saturday, the Bulls faced off against Canisius and finished the tournament with a win in the final match to make their record 2-1 for the weekend.
“This tournament, we really stepped it up with our energy, we stepped it up with kind of our unified presence,” said senior Kristina Nieves.
Head Coach Scott Smith was impressed with the team’s perseverance in their last game against Canisius.
“They're really strong in the first two and we have to find it within ourselves to respond. We did a great job blocking, got us back into it. And transition offense was really strong.”
Before MAC play begins, Smith emphasizes the importance of the team’s mental game.
“Our focus is always on our mental approach to the game, when we are firing on all cylinders,” Smith said. “We are strong offensive team or solid defensive team. Making sure we stay in the right frame of mind is really important.”
“We're really excited to go into conference play off of this one, because now we know what it feels like to fight, and to fight and come back,” said Nieves.
The Bulls are now preparing for conference play to start, which begins on Sept. 26 with a home game against Akron (7-1).
The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
