FREDONIA, NY – The Buffalo State women's volleyball team kept their playoff hopes alive, defeating the No. 4 seed Fredonia Blue Devils, 3–2, in the SUNYAC Championship First Round.
GAME BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State - 3, Fredonia - 2
SET SCORES: (23-25, 25-19, 13-25, 28-26, 15-9)
LOCATION: Dods Hall Gymnasium – Fredonia, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: (15-15, 5-4 SUNYAC), Fredonia: (12-16, 6-3 SUNYAC)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
- Ella Wittman (Cheektowaga, NY/Springville-Griffith) led the Bengals with a team-high 19 kills, setting a new playoff career high. Nicole Delli Colli (Rye, NY/Rye) and Reagan Schneider (Corfu, NY/Pembroke) followed closely behind with 10 kills each.
- April Jakubowski (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster) directed the offense, dishing out a team-high 28 assists.
- On the defensive end, Hailey Kulniszewski (Elma, NY/Iroquois) led the Bengals with 20 digs, while Wittman added 19. Schneider handled the front of the net, tallying a team-leading five block assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Entering their first-round matchup against 'Battle by the Lake' rival Fredonia, the Bengals aimed to start their playoff run on a high note by taking down the Blue Devils and advancing to the SUNYAC Championship Semifinals.
- In the opening set, both teams came out firing as an early Bengals lead was quickly erased by the Blue Devils. After trading multiple three-point rallies, the Blue Devils strung together a four-point run to take control of the set. The Bengals battled back to close the gap late, but the Blue Devils held on to take the first set.
- The second set belonged entirely to the Bengals. They stormed out to a five-point run before allowing a single Blue Devil point, then added another pair of rallies, including a five-point burst, to dominate the frame and even the match at one set apiece.
- In the third set, the Blue Devils flipped the script and took command early. A five-point run opened up the lead, and the Blue Devils maintained control throughout, closing the set with another four straight points to go ahead 2–1 and put the Bengals on the brink of elimination.
- With their season on the line and a potential season sweep by the Blue Devils looming, the Bengals came out determined in the fourth. Both teams traded points early, but a three-point rally gave the Bengals the edge. The Blue Devils responded with a four-point surge, only for the Bengals to answer right back with a rally of their own. The Blue Devils continued to push, tying the set late, but the Bengals refused to back down, closing on a three-point run to claim the fourth set and force a decisive fifth.
- Riding that momentum into the final set, the Bengals came out blazing, opening with a five-point run and never relinquishing control. The Bengals kept the pressure on from start to finish, sealing the victory in five sets to advance to the SUNYAC Championship Semifinals, and capturing a statement win in this year's 'Battle by the Lake' series.
FOR THE FOES
- Kylie O'Brien led the Blue Devils with 14 kills, while Molly Cassidy led with 23 assists.
- On the defensive end, Kailea Sullivan led all players with 33 digs, while Hannah Lombardi led all players with three-blocks at the net.
UP NEXT
The Bengals will travel to Cortland on Friday, November 14th, to face the No. 1 seed Red Dragons in the SUNYAC Championship Semifinals at 4:00 p.m.
