Akron Volleyball Falls to Navy in Season Opener - University of Akron Athletics

Friday, August 25

Annapolis, MD

7 p.m.

University of Akron

0-1

Navy

1-0

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Akron	18	17	20	0
Navy	25	25	25	3

Box Score (PDF)

August 25 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Follow Akron Women's Volleyball on Twitter and Facebook

Box Score (PDF)

ANNAPOLIS, Md.- The Akron Zips volleyball team fell to Navy in straight sets (18-25, 17-25, 20-25) on the opening day of the Kristen Dickmann Invitational on Friday, Aug. 25 at Alumni Hall.

Akron fell to 0-1 on the season with the setback, while Navy improved to 1-0.

"We did a handful of things well, but we certainly needed to do a better job of carrying things over from our practice gym to a match situation." said head coach Tom Hanna. "We look forward to having two opportunities tomorrow to doing a better job of being us."

Junior Kayla Gwozdz (Temperance, Mich.) led the team with nine kills, while adding six digs. Freshman defensive specialist Taylor Sharrits (Concord, Ohio) had a team-high nine digs. Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Richardson (Doylestown, Ohio) registered a pair of service aces in the match.

Set number one began as a slugfest with neither squad mustering a lead larger than three points. The score sat tied on three different occasions, before Navy slipped away with an 8-3 run to put it ahead 13-8. Trailing by as many as eight, the Zips recovered with three consecutive scores to cut the deficit to five, 22-17, but it wasn't enough to catch as the Mids took the set with a 25-18 final.

Navy secured the lead throughout the whole second set. Gwozdz's kill brought the Zips within two, 14-12, but the Mids used an eight point run to make it 21-13 en route to winning the frame, 25-17.

Despite a .219 team hitting efficiency for Navy in the third frame, the Zips were able to hang around thank to three kills from redshirt junior right side hitter Madi Baer (Stow, Ohio). A block by senior Jessica Kloehn (Milwaukee, Wis.) brought the Zips within four, 24-20, but Navy ended the set with 25-20 win.

The Zips concluded the match with a .140 hitting percentage to Navy's .282. The Mids led the match with 42 kills to Akron's 33.

Akron returns to action on the final day of the Kristin Dickmann Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 25. The Zips face off against Maryland Eastern Shore at 1 p.m. followed by wrapping up tournament play against St. Francis (PA) at 4:40 pm.