BUFFALO, N.Y. – Bowling Green State University volleyball overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Buffalo Bulls in five sets on Friday.
The Falcons fell behind in the first two sets, including playing to extra points in the first set, but BGSU completed the comeback with wins in the third, fourth and fifth sets of the match to capture the 3-2 victory.
The Falcons were led by Yelianiz Torres who matched her career-high with 36 digs in the match. Petra Indrova added a double-double with 14 kills and 14 digs while Lauryn Hovey added a team-high 17 kills with a .452 attack percentage. Jaden Walz set a season-high 32 assists for the Orange and Brown as well.
The win moves the Falcons to 18-9 on the season while being 13-3 within the Mid-American Conference.
How It Happened
Set 1: Buffalo 26, Bowling Green 24
Buffalo tallied the first two points of the match, but the Falcons quickly responded with a 5-0 run to take a 5-2 lead in the first set.
A 4-0 run later in the set stretched the BGSU lead to 10-5, but the Bulls worked to tie the score at 12-12 before taking a 15-13 lead into the media timeout.
The set remained back-and-forth with the Falcons and Bulls trading the lead before a BGSU timeout with the score at 21-19 Buffalo.
The Falcons responded with back-to-back points soon after the timeout to bring the score to 22-21 UB and force a Buffalo timeout.
Bowling Green was able to move out in front, but Buffalo came back to take the first set in extra points.
Set 2: Buffalo 25, Bowling Green 19
The second set began close, but a 4-1 stretch for the Falcons moved BGSU out in front with a 10-9 tally.
Buffalo responded with a 3-0 run, followed by a 2-0 BGSU stretch and another 3-0 Buffalo run, bringing the set to the media timeout with UB leading 15-12.
The runs continued out of the media break, this time a 3-0 run in the Falcons’ favor to tie it up at 15-15. However, the Bulls regained the three points quickly to prompt a BGSU timeout with UB up 18-15.
The momentum stayed for Buffalo, rolling into a 25-19 set win to advance to 2-0 for the match.
Set 3: Bowling Green 25, Buffalo 18
The third set started 2-2, but a 6-0 run for the Falcons pushed BGSU out in front 8-2 and forced a timeout from the Buffalo bench.
The runs continued for the Falcons later in the set with a 3-0 stretch to put the score at 12-4 BGSU.
Buffalo answered with a 6-1 stretch to narrow the BGSU lead to 14-11. However, BGSU responded with a 3-0 run to push the lead back to 17-11 and bring about the second Buffalo timeout of the set.
The Bulls put together a 4-0 run to close the lead to 23-18 and force the first Bowling Green timeout of the set.
The Falcons tallied the next two points out of the timeout to take the set 25-18 and force a fourth set.
Set 4: Bowling Green 25, Buffalo 20
The momentum for the Falcons stretched into the fourth set with the Orange and Brown going up 5-1.
The Bulls came fighting back to tie the set at 6-6, but the Falcons pushed back out in front with a 4-1 stretch to put the score at 14-10 BGSU with Bowling Green taking a 15-12 lead into the media break.
The Falcons strung together a 3-0 run later in the set to force a Buffalo timeout. The run continued through the timeout, stretching to 5-0 with a 23-16 BGSU lead to bring another UB timeout.
A 4-1 stretch out of the timeout for Buffalo brought the score to 24-20, prompting a BGSU timeout.
The Falcons were able to tally the first point out of the timeout for the 25-20 set win to force a fifth.
Set 5: Bowling Green 15, Buffalo 12
Buffalo had an early 3-0 run to go up 4-2 before taking a 6-3 lead into a Bowling Green timeout.
BGSU soon utilized a 3-0 run of their own to tie it up at 7-7 and bring about a Buffalo timeout.
The Bulls registered two of the next three points out of the timeout to go up 9-8 and see the Falcons use their second timeout of the set.
A 4-1 run for the Falcons pushed the score to 12-10 BGSU before a Buffalo timeout with the score at 13-11.
The Falcons were able to hold on to complete the comeback in five sets with a 15-12 fifth set victory.
Falcon Stat Leaders
Kills: Lauryn Hovey (17)
Assists: Jaden Walz (32)
Digs: Yelianiz Torres (36)
Aces: Lauryn Hovey (3)
Blocks: Jessica Andrews (7)
Falcon Stat Facts
Torres tallied 36 digs for the Falcons, setting a new season-high and matching her career-high. Torres has now tallied 20+ digs in 11 matches this season and has 30+ digs twice in the last three matches.
Hovey matched her career-high with a team-high 17 kills in the match with a .452 attack percentage. Hovey also matched her career-high for aces, landing a team-high three.
Indrova logged her team-leading 11th double-double of the season with 14 kills and 14 digs for the Falcons, finishing the match second in each category for BGSU. The 14 kills for Indrova ties her for ninth all-time in program history for career kills with Kendra Halm, each having 1,299 career kills.
Indrova also logged 40 attack attempts for the Orange and Brown to bring her career total to 3,499 attacks. That mark moves Indrova into eighth all-time in program history, needing eight more to move into seventh.
Meyer landed 14 kills for the Falcons as well on a team-high 42 attack attempts, coming just one shy of her season-high.
Mettille continued to be efficient on the attack with five kills on eight attempts with no errors for an attack percentage of .625.
Walz led the BGSU setter duo with a season-high 32 assists. Hanna Laube added 15 for the Falcons in the match.
Andrews again paced the Falcons at the net with a team-high seven blocks, registering two solos and five assists.
With the win, BGSU has now won 12 of the last 14 matches against Buffalo, including six straight.
The win marks the first time the Falcons have erased a 2-0 deficit since defeating Miami (OH) on Feb. 5, 2021.
The Falcons will play their final Saturday match of the regular season, taking on the Bulls to conclude the weekend. The regular season will round out on Wednesday on the road against Miami (OH).
