BUFFALO, NY – The Buffalo State volleyball team is back in the SUNYAC playoffs for the first time since 2014, and the team is hoping to turn some heads with their performance as they begin its quest for the first SUNYAC title since 2013.
The sixth-seeded Bengals head out to Brockport to take on the third-seeded Golden Eagles in the quarterfinals on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.
Buffalo State enters the postseason with a 11-12 overall record (3-6 SUNYAC). They went 2-1 in three non-conference matches over the past week, coming from behind to defeat Houghton and Rochester in five sets.
This season, the Bengals have been led in offensively by senior middle hitter
Liz Schultheis (Holley, NY/Brockport), and junior outside hitter
Alena McKelvey (Buffalo, NY/City Honors). Schultheis has recorded 142 kills on the year, while McKelvey has 115 kills. Sophomore setter
Riley Domin (Getzville, NY/Williamsville South) has a team-high 462 assists and is the only Bengal to have played in every set this season.
On defense, Schultheis has 64 total blocks, for an average of 0.90 blocks per set. Junior libero
Jenna Hugenschmidt (Clarence Center, NY/Clarence) has 276 digs on the year.
The Bengals have excelled from behind the service line this season, leading the conference with 209 aces for a 2.46 service ace per set average. Hugenschmidt and Domin are third and seventh individually in the SUNYAC with 43 and 35 aces respectively.
Brockport will enter Tuesday's quarterfinal with a 15-9 record (6-3 SUNYAC), but what has been most impressive about the Golden Eagles is their 11-0 record at home this year. The home court advantage was very noticeable when Buffalo State traveled to Brockport earlier this season for a regular-season match at Jim and John Vlogianitias Gymnasium, a three-set sweep for the Golden Eagles.
Buffalo State assistant coach
John Hutton believes that the Bengals will be better prepared for the hostile environment this time around.
"We learned some valuable lessons from our match earlier this season." Hutton added, "We need to match their home energy if we want to have a better showing."
Hutton also knows that a strong start will be vital if the Bengals are to pull off an upset.
"The key for us will be getting off to a good start, we've had a good week of practice and we're focused and dialed in."
The winner will advance to face second-seeded Geneseo in the SUNYAC Semifinals on Friday Nov. 5 at 4 p.m.
