NEW YORK, NY – The Buffalo State men's volleyball team fell to Baruch College, 3-1, in the first round of the NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Tournament.

GAME BASICS

FINAL SCORE: Baruch College – 3, Buffalo State – 1
SET SCORES: (25-19, 22-25, 18-25, 24-26)
LOCATION: John A. Paulson Center – New York, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 20-12 (7-0 AMCC), Baruch College: 18-11 (13-1 CUNYAC)

INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Malachi Jackson (Buffalo, NY/Cheektowaga) led the Bengals with 16-kills, while Gavin Wilczewski (Elma, NY/East Aurora) backed him up with 15-kills.  
• Drew Bowman (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) racked up 42-assists in tonight's contest.
• Defensively, Alex Vega (Cambita Garabitos, Dominican Republic) led with nine-digs, while D. Bowman and Wilczewski each picked up seven-digs. Hayden McCue (Fairport, NY/Fairport) and Brady Bowman (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) each picked up a block.  

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After winning the AMCC Championship the previous weekend, the Buffalo State Bengals made their historic debut in the NCAA Men's Volleyball Tournament, opening with a first-round matchup against Baruch College. The Bengals came out firing in the first set, stringing together a four-point rally to take an early lead. With consistent pressure and crisp execution, the Bengals kept the Bearcats on their heels, cruising to a convincing first-set win.
• Set two saw a back-and-forth battle, with both teams exchanging points well into the middle portion of the frame. Tied at 16, the Bearcats strung together a three-point rally to break the deadlock, just enough separation to secure the set and even the match at 1-1.
• The third set mirrored the intensity of the second, as neither side gave an inch. After the Bearcats briefly surged ahead with a three-point run, the Bengals answered with a rally of their own to retake the lead. But the Bearcats responded with a four-point swing, then tacked on three more points to widen the gap. Despite the Bengals' resilience, the Bearcats held firm to take the set and grab a 2-1 match advantage.
• With their season on the line, the Bengals dug deep in the fourth. The teams traded points early before the Bearcats used a four-point run to edge ahead. The Bengals responded in dramatic fashion, rattling off five-straight points to ignite hopes of a fifth set. But as both sides neared the 25-point finish line, the Bearcats delivered a final surge to reclaim control, sealing the set and ending the Bengals inaugural NCAA tournament run.

FOR THE FOES

• Noah Pak led with 15-kills for the Bearcats, while also leading with 14-digs.
• Argjend Osmanaj picked up 12-kills, while Ryan Oommen led the Bearcats with 42-assists.