BUFFALO, NY – The Buffalo State men's volleyball team scored a big conference win at home, 3-1 (25-20, 25-12, 24-26, 25-17), over the Penn State Altoona Lions.

GAME BASICS

FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 3, Penn State Altoona - 1
SET SCORES: (25-20, 25-12, 24-26, 25-17),
LOCATION: Sports Arena – Buffalo, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 12-11 (2-0 AMCC), Penn State Altoona: 12-11 (2-1 AMCC)

INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Malachi Jackson (Buffalo, NY/Cheektowaga) led the Bengals with 15-kills in tonight's performance, with Kaden Strong (Buffalo, NY/West Seneca East) and Brady Bowman (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) backing him up with 12-kills and ten kills respectively.   
• Drew Bowman (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) set a new career-high in assists, tallying 49 assists in tonight's game.
• Defensively, Alex Vega (Cambita Garabitos, Dominican Republic) led the way with 15-digs, with Jackson also racking up 11-digs.   

 HOW IT HAPPENED

• Returning to the Sports Arena, the Buffalo State Bengals looked to gain an edge over conference foe, the Penn State Altoona Lions. In the opening set, the Bengals came out strong, starting with a four-point rally to take an early lead. Midway through the set, both teams traded points, but another four-point surge by the Bengals gave them the edge needed to secure the first-set win.
• The second set saw the Bengals assert their dominance, jumping out with a five-point rally to take control early. The momentum stayed in the Bengals favor, as another five-point rally late in the set allowed them to cruise to victory and set the stage for a potential sweep.
• In the third set, the Lions showed signs of life, battling back to keep their hopes alive. The set featured back-and-forth action, with both teams going point for point. Two separate three-point rallies by the Bengals gave them a slight edge, but the Lions responded with a five-point run to pull within one. They followed up with another five-point rally to steal the set and force a fourth.
• The fourth set saw the Bengals regroup and regain control. Despite a competitive start from the Lions, the Bengals pieced together a pair of three-point rallies to build a comfortable lead. A late three-point rally from the Lions wasn't enough, as the Bengals closed out the match with a decisive four-point run—securing their second conference win of the season.

FOR THE FOES

• Caleb Fries finished the night with ten kills for the Lions, with Zayden Tamashiro leading with 17-assists.
• Defensively, Adam Chan racked up 15-digs with Landen Fisher leading the Lions with two blocks.

UP NEXT
 The Buffalo State Bengals will return to the Sports Arena tomorrow afternoon, as the host a Tri-Match with Mount Aloysius College at 11:00 A.M. and Geneva College at 3:00 P.M.