Following their Mid-American Conference (MAC) tournament loss in the semi-finals at the hands of their divisional rivals Bowling Green (19-13, 11-7 MAC), UB Women’s Volleyball (23-9, 13-5 MAC) were defeated by the South Florida Bulls (20-11, 13-6 AAC) 3-0 in the opening round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
This marks UB’s second consecutive postseason tournament appearance; they also participated in last year’s NIVC, where they were also eliminated in the first round.
The match started off closely contested, with the first set ending 25-23 and UB taking advantage of their time-outs. But by the third set, it became clear that Buffalo was struggling to maintain their momentum. UB started committing various errors and failed to keep up with South Florida’s formidable offense. The final set ended in a lopsided 25-14 defeat for UB.
Despite the sweep, Buffalo had impressive showcases of skill. Senior outside hitter Katrin Trebichavska continued her season-long run of excellent form, ending the game with 11 kills, more than any other player. Junior setter Mandy Leigh led the game in assists, racking up 29.
The loss against South Florida officially marked the end of the 2023 season for UB, thwarting any hopes and chances for tournament victories.
The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
