CORTLAND, NY – The Buffalo State women's volleyball team fell to the Cortland Red Dragons, 3-1, in their SUNYAC season opener on the road.
GAME BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Cortland - 3, Buffalo State - 1
SET SCORES: (26-24, 21-25, 19-25, 14-25)
LOCATION: Whitney T. Corey Gym – Cortland, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: (7-11, 0-1 SUNYAC), Cortland: (12-4, 1-0 SUNYAC)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
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Ella Wittman (Cheektowaga, NY/Springville Griffith) led the Bengals' offense with a team-high 10 kills, while Nicole Delli Colli (Rye, NY/Rye) added strong support with nine kills.
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Karlie Shaffer (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown East) directed the attack with 18 assists, and April Jakubowski (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster) chipped in 13 assists of her own.
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On the defensive end, Autumn Flanders (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls) paced the Bengals with nine digs, while Wittman and Shaffer each recorded eight. At the net, Delaney McCarthy (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West) anchored the front line with four block assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
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Opening their SUNYAC portion of the season, the Buffalo State Bengals looked forward to a championship rematch from last year, taking on the reigning SUNYAC champions, the Cortland Red Dragons.
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The opening set would set the tone for the match, with both teams battling to prove a point early. After back-and-forth play, the Bengals fell behind following a six-point rally from the Red Dragons. Credit to the Bengals, however, as they stayed composed, countered the Red Dragons' attacks, and forced mistakes to claw back and even the score. With a strong push to the finish, the Bengals held off the Red Dragons to take the first set.
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Riding the momentum, the Bengals looked to keep their strong play going in the second set. The two sides continued to trade rallies, neither giving an inch. Late in the set, the Red Dragons pulled ahead with a four-point rally, and despite a late surge from the Bengals, the Red Dragons held on to take the set and tie the match at 1-1.
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In the third set, the Red Dragons came out strong, building an early lead and forcing the Bengals to play from behind. The Bengals responded with a six-point rally of their own to close the gap, but another late push by the Red Dragons sealed the set in their favor.
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In the fourth and final set, the Red Dragons once again started fast and never looked back. While the Bengals continued to battle until the end, the Red Dragons maintained control and closed out the match, handing the Bengals a loss in their SUNYAC opener.
FOR THE FOES
UP NEXT
The Bengals will continue their road trip with a matchup at SUNY Morrisville tomorrow, October 4th, at 1:00 P.M.
