The Miami University women's volleyball team returns home for two games this weekend against the University of Buffalo Bulls and the University of Akron Zips. The first game will be 7 p.m. Friday against the Bulls.
Buffalo's record currently stands at 8-8 overall and 1-1 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Bulls swept the RedHawks last year in their two matches. However, Miami owns a commanding 20-4 record all time against the Bulls.
Like many teams in the MAC, Buffalo lost several of their top players from last year. Their record so far this year includes wins over the Syracuse University Orange and the Cornell University Big Red.
"We have to be at the top of our game and do a better job at blocking in order to win," Head Coach Carolyn Condit said.
The game will likely be a great match and will probably be very close. Sophomore Madison Hardy will likely have to continue to her outstanding defensive play for the Red and White to beat the Bulls.
Following the match against the Bulls, the 'Hawks host the Akron Zips. The game will be at 7 p.m., Saturday The Zips current record is 3-12 overall and 0-2 in the MAC. The Zips swept their own invitational earlier in the season, but have since lost eight in a row entering this weekend. Last year, the RedHawks split the two matches against the Zips.
"Akron presents very different challenges than Buffalo does," Condit said. "Akron is a team that relies on their left side attack and plays good defense. We had a good week of practice and I think we can sweep this weekend for the home crowd."
In order to do so, the team will need a strong performance from all their attackers, including senior Amy Raseman.
After the conclusion of the game against Buffalo, the team will host Meet-the-Team-Night. The event will be held on the court and there will be refreshments served. The players will be introduced through a video and each player will say something about the teammate that they roomed with during the preseason. In addition, the assistant coaches will be introduced.
Coming off strong defensive performances in a win over Kent State University and in a loss to Ohio University last weekend, Hardy was named the Miami Female Athlete of the Week. She had 26 digs combined for the two matches, good for a 4.33 per set average. She currently ranks 74th in the nation with a 4.71 dig per set average. This is the second time she has won the award this year.
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