Sahra Ozbiltekin tallied a match high 18 kills to lead Quinnipiac to a 3-1 (26-28, 25-22, 25-21, 25-23) victory over Canisius in Metro Conference volleyball action Friday at the Koessler Athletic Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
Ozbiltekin was one of three Bobcat (6-13, 5-3 Metro) to record double-digit kills as Giulia Ragusa pitched in 16 and Sophia Minlend added 12. Ragusa also registered a team-best 16 digs while Ozbiltekin and Carola Negron chipped in 15 digs apiece. Sophia Gisslen dished out a match-best 37 assists.
Redshirt-freshman Makenna Corcoran recorded a career-high 10 kills and seven block assists for the Golden Griffins (2-16, 1-7 Metro). Junior Emma Isroff led the team in kills with 14 while also pitching in six digs, three block assists and a service ace. As a team, Canisius outhit Quinnipiac (.240 to .203) through the four set match.
Canisius took the first set by a score of 28-26. Isroff led the charge in the opening frame with a team-leading five kills, including a crucial point to give the Griffs a 27-26 lead late in the opening set. The Canisius defense held its opposition to hit just .043 in set number one.
Quinnipiac evened the match with a 25-22 victory in the second set, helped in large part by five kills from Ragusa and four from Ozbiltekin.
Quinnipiac never trailed in the third set as it opened the frame with a 8-1 run on its way to a 25-21 set victory and a 2-1 advantage in the match. Ozbiltekin once again led the Bobcats in kills, recording six of her team's 15 kills in the frame. Seven Golden Griffins combined for 15 kills, led by Corcoran, who recorded four.
The Bobcats hit .316 as a team during the final frame as it secured a 25-23 victory in the fourth set to win the match. In a set that included nine ties and five lead changes between the two squads, a four-point swing late, highlighted by a pair of kills from Ragusa, allowed Quinnipiac to secure the two-point victory and the match.
GAME NOTES
• Friday marked the 32nd meeting between Canisius and Quinnipiac in a series that dates back to the 2003 season. The Griffs lead the series 17-15.
• As a team, Canisius collected 20 block assists, its highest number of blocks in a four-set match this season.
• As a team, Canisius has hit north of .240 in two of its last three matches.
• Isroff led the team in kills with 14, with a hitting percentage of .323 through four sets of work.
• Freshman Kenslie Warmbrodt added 32 assists, her first time recording 30-plus assists this season.
• Senior libero Brenda Reynaga tallied 21 digs, the sixth time this season she has had 20-or more digs in a match.
UP NEXT
Canisius wraps up the home weekend with a Metro Conference match against Merrimack on Saturday. First serve between the Griffs and Warriors is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Demske Sports Complex and will be broadcast live through the Golden Griffin Broadcast Network.
MORE THAN A GAME
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