Senior Danielle Holt spikes the ball past two Akron defenders. Kent won the first and lost the final three sets to its host Akron on Friday night.

Credit: Steve Schirra

Senior Anne Butts goes up for a block as freshman Vaiva Laniauskas looks on. Kent won the first and lost the final three sets to its host Akron Friday night.

Credit: Steve Schirra

The Kent State volleyball team fell this weekend to conference rivals Akron and Buffalo in two four-set matches.

After taking the first set 30-24, the Flashes fell to arch rival Akron the final three games with scores of 30-20, 30-26, 30-26 Friday night.

Although the Zips had less blocks and service aces than the Flashes, Akron (8-10, 3-4 Mid-American Conference) had stronger overall hitting, leading it to a win. Kent State (6-13, 2-6 MAC) dominated the first game with .317 hitting, but its offensive energy fell in the following sets giving it .000 hitting in the second and fourth sets and a final .102 hitting average.

Leading the Kent State offense were seniors Danielle Holt and Anne Butts as both grabbed double-doubles. Holt tallied 11 kills and 11 digs, while Butts added 46 assists and 11 digs. Junior Sarah Wilber and sophomore Anne Zakelj contributed to hitting with 11 and 13 kills respectively.

Defensively, sophomore Laura Jensen registered 17 digs. Wilber recorded a team-best six blocks, including five solo blocks. Freshman Krista Groce and redshirt freshman Ashley Feutz added to blocking with five and four blocks respectively.

Poor hitting and key errors followed the Flashes into their second loss of the weekend against Buffalo (9-13, 1-7 MAC) Saturday. The Bulls took the first game 30-21, but the Flashes came back to win a close second set 30-27. Unfortunately, the momentum from the second game dropped as Buffalo pulled ahead to take the final two sets with scores of 30-19 and 30-20.

Buffalo kept the Flashes at a .049 hitting average, while posting 15 blocks to Kent State’s eight. Ten service errors also hindered the Flashes.

Three players posted double digit kills for the Flashes, including Holt, Wilber and Feutz. Holt led the offense with 13 kills, while Wilber and Feutz added 10 and 11 kills respectively. Butts recorded her second double-double of the weekend with 40 assists and 10 digs.

Jensen tallied 16 defensive digs, while redshirt freshman Vaiva Laniauskas added 13 digs.

Kent State continues its road trip this weekend as it travels Northern Illinois at 6 p.m. Friday and Western Michigan at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Contact volleyball reporter Amanda Vasil at [email protected].