The Kent State volleyball team opened its Mid-American Conference schedule this past weekend with a victory on the road against the rival Akron Zips Friday and a loss to the Buffalo Bulls on Saturday.

The Flashes kicked off conference play in a strong way by beating Akron 3-2 (25-20, 25-12, 18-25, 21-25, 15-9) after an effective fifth set powered them past the Zips. Junior outside hitter Tinuke Aderemi-Ibitola led the way for the Flashes with 15 kills and a .167 attack percentage.

Aderemi-Ibitola’s effort combined with Hannah Herc’s 18 digs gave Kent State a half-point lead in the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge against Akron as well.

After defeating the Zips, Kent State traveled to New York to face another MAC foe, Buffalo. The Flashes took the first set, but the Bulls won the final three (25-20, 23-25, 24-26, 20-25) for the victory, putting the Flashes’ record at 7-7.

“We started off strong and did some pretty good things offensively and stuck with the game plan,” Coach Don Gromala said. “As the game went on, they wore us down and we became a little inconsistent.”

Liz Reikow led the way for the Flashes in the attack against the Bulls with a career-high 15 kills, and Herc once again had an impressive match as she totaled 29 digs. Despite this, the Flashes could not close out the match after winning the first set. They currently hold a record of 1-1 against conference opponents.

The Flashes will return to action on the road against Youngstown State beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Contact Kent Hushion at [email protected].