In her team’s last game of the season on Wednesday, Kent State volleyball coach Haley Eckerman said she saw the potential her team has for later success.

The Flashes, who lost to Ohio University 3-1, finished the season with a 6-23 overall record and a 2-16 record in the Mid-American Conference.

Despite the loss, Eckerman said her team strongly competed.

“Outside of the Toledo game, this was the most we’ve really battled, and it was great to see the potential future that we have with this team,” she said.

Kent State ended the season on a five-game losing streak and a 1-9 record at home. Last season — Eckerman’s first year as head coach — the team finished 4-14 in the conference.

The game

Both teams started the scoring early, tying up at  4-4. 

KSU and OU remained within two points of one another until KSU took the lead at 13-12. OU then went on a 8-2 run for a 20-15 lead coming into the final stretch of the first set. 

Although the Flashes would go on to score another seven points in the set, it wasn’t enough to slow down the Bobcats, as they took the first set 25-21. 

In the second set the score went back and forth up until both teams were tied 11-11. The Flashes went on a 9-3 run to take a lead against the Bobcats, putting them up 20-14. 

Kent State would go on to win the second set 25-20 and tie the game in sets 1-1. 

Before the second set, Coach Haley Eckerman told her team to keep pushing. 

“We wanted to come out and keep our foot on the gas after the first set,” Eckerman said. 

KSU and OU went back and forth in set three, and both sides were within a point of one another for most of the beginning of the set. As both sides were tied at 10-10, Ohio University went on a 7-1 run to take a 17-11 lead. 

The Flashes did come back to bring the score to 20-16, but the Bobcats went on to take the third set 25-20. 

In the fourth and final set, OU started off on a 9-0 run. The Bobcats took down the Flashes 25-10 in the fourth set, taking the win on the match 3-1. 

Final seasons stats

Sophomore outside hitter Mackenzie McGuire led the team with 359 kills on the season, with freshman outside hitter Logan Henderson following in second with 187 kills and senior middle blocker Kiana Mack in third with 168 kills. 

Senior libero Bryn Roberts led the Flashes in digs with 440 on the season, followed by sophomore setter Kendall White with 270 and McGuire with 206. 

White led Kent State with 725 assists this season, and graduate student middle blocker Burgundy Walters led KSU in blocks with 86.

The team will be graduating three seniors this year: Mack, Roberts and Walters. 

After the match, Eckerman spoke on the challenges her team faced this year.  

“What we did with the injuries we had and COVID scares, we did a great job of battling and pushing through,” Eckerman said. “With how Bryn stepped up into her role, there are some shoes to fill for next season. She made the position her own and did her own thing to help the team.” 

Ethan Madden is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].