BUFFALO, NY – The Buffalo State men's volleyball team earned their first AMCC Championship following a three-set sweep over the Penn State Behrend Lions. They are the first Buffalo State program to earn a conference championship since women's soccer won the SUNYAC Championship in 2016.
GAME BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 3, Penn State Behrend – 0
SET SCORES: (25-23, 25-20, 25-22)
LOCATION: Canisius High School – Buffalo, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 21-13 (6-0 AMCC), Penn State Behrend: 13-16 (4-2 AMCC)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
- Malachi Jackson (Buffalo, NY/Cheektowaga) paced the Bengals with 19 kills and a .455 hitting percentage.
- Kaden Strong (Buffalo, NY/West Seneca East) also posted a strong performance with nine kills, a .615 attack percentage, and three blocks.
- Drew Bowman (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) dished out 30 assists while Alex Vega (Cambita Garabitos, Dominican Republic) had 14 digs.
- Jackson and Strong were each named to the AMCC All-Tournament Team.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both sides were competitive at the start as the matchup opened with a 13-13 score.
- The Bengals then went on a 6-0 run to take control in the set. The Lions had a late push with a 10-5 run to put pressure on Buffalo State. However, Jackson got the final kill to give the set to Buffalo State.
- In the second set with a 4-4 score, the Bengals caught fire with a 9-3 run to keep their dominant momentum.
- Another late 6-1 swing from the Bengals allowed them to win the second set.
- The final set saw the Bengals come out strong with a 4-1 lead. Penn State Behrend responded and stayed in the game as they never let the Bengal lead grow larger than three.
- Buffalo State scored four of the final five points overall and clinched the conference title following an attack error from the Lions.
FOR THE FOES
- Kyle Hoffman tallied ten kills for the Lions.
- Luke Mumpower dished out 19 assists and six digs.
UP NEXT
The Bengals will await the selection show on Monday to determine who they will play to open the NCAA Tournament.
