UMBC Volleyball Rallies From Two Sets Down Before Falling to Buffalo in Five
UMBC volleyball showed plenty of fight Friday night in Buffalo, rallying from a two-set deficit before ultimately falling to the Bulls in five sets, 26-24, 25-23, 21-25, 23-25, 15-5, at Broadview Arena. The loss dropped the Retrievers to 2-1 on the young season, while Buffalo improved to 4-1 and extended its winning streak to three matches at the time. UMBC was coming off a dramatic five-set victory over West Virginia, but this time the Retrievers could not finish another comeback in the deciding set.
Hannah Dobbs led UMBC offensively with 20 kills and added 10 digs for a double-double. Freshman Alissa Grant continued her strong start with 15 kills on a .385 hitting percentage while also contributing five blocks, and Claudia Llamas added 10 kills and five blocks. Isabel Ostvig directed the offense with 43 assists and 14 digs, while Hannah Howard posted a match-high 17 digs.
The first two sets were nearly even, but Buffalo found a way to close both of them. The Bulls edged UMBC 26-24 in the opener after staging a late rally, then survived a strong push from the Retrievers to win the second set 25-23. Through two sets, UMBC had played well enough to remain close, but Buffalo had been better in the most important points and carried a 2-0 advantage into the break.
UMBC responded immediately in the third set. The Retrievers never trailed and hit .321 in the frame compared with Buffalo’s .222, taking the set 25-21 to stay alive. Dobbs was outstanding during the set, recording seven kills on 10 swings without committing an attacking error, giving UMBC the offensive spark it needed to shift the momentum.
The fourth set became the most dramatic part of the night. Buffalo appeared to be in control after building a 20-15 lead, but the Retrievers refused to let the match end in four. UMBC closed the set on a 10-3 run, winning 25-23 and completing the comeback from two sets down to force a fifth.
That late surge gave UMBC a legitimate chance to steal the match, but Buffalo quickly took control of the deciding frame. The Bulls opened the fifth set with five consecutive points and never trailed, eventually cruising to a 15-5 victory. UMBC committed eight attack errors in the fifth set and finished the frame with a negative-.217 hitting percentage, while Buffalo hit .250 and took advantage of the Retrievers’ mistakes.
The fifth-set numbers were especially important because the overall match had been much more competitive than the final frame suggested. UMBC finished with 56 kills on 152 attempts and hit .164 for the match, while Buffalo recorded 59 kills on 154 attempts and hit .227. The Retrievers had actually been more efficient than Buffalo in the second and third sets, but the decisive difference came when Buffalo forced errors and controlled the final 15-point set.
Grant’s performance remained one of the biggest positives for UMBC. She continued to look comfortable early in her collegiate career, reaching 15 kills while hitting .385 against a Buffalo team that entered the night playing well. Combining that offensive efficiency with five blocks gave the Retrievers production at the net on both sides of the ball.
Dobbs also continued to establish herself as one of UMBC’s most reliable attackers. Her 20 kills were a match high for the Retrievers, and her 10 digs showed she remained involved defensively as well. UMBC needed her to carry a significant offensive workload during the comeback, and her seven-kill third set was a major reason the Retrievers were able to extend the match.
Ostvig gave UMBC steady production at setter throughout the night. Her 43 assists helped four different Retrievers record at least four kills, while her 14 digs gave her a double-double. She also contributed two aces and four blocks, making an impact in several phases of the match beyond simply distributing the ball.
Freshman Natalie Harris also saw the first action of her collegiate career. Harris finished with five digs, one kill and one service ace, giving UMBC another young player valuable early-season experience. With conference play still ahead, opportunities like this could become important as head coach Cristina Robertson continues evaluating the depth of her roster.
Buffalo received a strong all-around performance from Hailey Campagna, who recorded the first double-double of her career with 15 kills and 11 digs. The Bulls also used aggressive serving and strong blocking to disrupt UMBC, particularly in the fifth set. Buffalo head coach Scott Smith specifically credited his team’s serve pressure and blocking for helping produce the victory.
The loss should also be viewed in the context of UMBC’s difficult early-season schedule. The Retrievers had opened the year 2-0 and were coming off an impressive 3-2 road victory over Big 12 opponent West Virginia, a match in which UMBC won the first two sets before surviving a Mountaineers comeback. Facing another quality opponent on the road just days later provided another significant early test.
UMBC did not leave Buffalo with the result it wanted, but the ability to erase a 2-0 deficit was another sign that this group can handle adversity. The Retrievers were two points away from extending the first set, two points away in the second, and then responded by winning consecutive sets. The match ultimately came down to execution in the fifth, where Buffalo was much cleaner.
UMBC remained in Buffalo after the match and was scheduled to make the short trip to Canisius for a 2 p.m. contest Saturday. With several nonconference matches still remaining before America East play, the Retrievers will have additional opportunities to turn the lessons from this five-set loss into improvements.
MSB Take
UMBC should be disappointed with the fifth set, but there was plenty to like about the first four. Coming back from 2-0 down on the road against a Buffalo team that entered playing well showed resilience, and the 10-3 run to close the fourth set was the kind of response that can help a team later in the season. The problem was that UMBC could not carry any of that momentum into the deciding frame.
The biggest concern was the number of mistakes in the fifth set. Eight attack errors in a race to 15 points is almost impossible to overcome, especially when Buffalo was playing clean volleyball on the other side. UMBC has enough offensive weapons with Dobbs, Grant and Llamas to compete with good teams, but the Retrievers have to be more efficient when the match reaches its most important moments.
Still, this was not a bad early-season loss. UMBC has already beaten West Virginia in five sets and nearly pulled off another five-set road comeback against Buffalo. If Grant continues developing this quickly and Dobbs remains a consistent 20-kill threat, the Retrievers have the pieces to be dangerous once America East play begins.
