Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
Miami
Miami Holds Off Deacs in Four-set Match
10/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
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Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeVolleyball)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Wake Forest volleyball team came out strong to win the first set, but eventually suffered a 3-1 (20-25, 25-22, 25-22, 28-26) defeat at the hands of Miami at Reynolds Gymnasium Friday night.
The loss was the Demon Deacons' second at home on the year and dropped their record to 9-8 with a 1-4 mark in the ACC.
The Deacs started strong in the match, claiming a 25-20 win in the opening set. Tied at 11, a Miami's Olga Strantzali service error handed Wake Forest a lead it would not relinquish. Kylie Long's fourth kill ended the set, which featured 10 tie scores before the Deacons went ahead, 12-11.
In the second set, the Deacs negated 3-0 and 11-8 deficits, but the Hurricanes went on an 8-2 run late in the set to open up a four-point lead. The Demon Deacons pulled within one point at 23-22 using a Long kill, but Miami knotted the overall match by seizing the final two points to make it a 25-22 final.
Out of the intermission, Wake Forest came out strong to grab a 10-6 lead before the `Canes called timeout. Miami then evened the score by taking six of the next eight points. Neither team led by more than two until the Hurricanes forced a set point at 24-21. Alex Mourning then undid a Sylvia Hernandez service error with a set-clinching kill.
Miami looked to have pulled away in the fourth set by going up 20-15, but the Deacs stormed all the way back with a 9-4 run to level the score at 24. Wake Forest took 25-24 and 26-25 leads, but the Hurricanes received back-to-back Taylor Scott kills and a Strantzali kill to cap the set, 28-26, and the match.
Long recorded her team-best eighth double-double of the year, posting 15 kills and a Deacon-high 11 digs. Matalee Reed had a strong outing with a match-high 16 kills and four service aces.
Splitting the primary setting duties for the Deacs were Rachel Burau and Sophia Dodd, who registered 19 and 18 assists, respectively.
Wake Forest will look to bounce back Sunday as it hosts 18th-ranked Florida State at 1 p.m. to wrap up a stretch of 15-straight games in the state of North Carolina. They will then hit the road to play Louisville and Notre Dame.
