LA VERNE, CA – The Buffalo State women's volleyball team opened the 2025 season on the West Coast, dropping a pair of hard-fought non-conference matches to Chapman University and No. 7 University of La Verne at the Pacific Coast Classic.

GAME ONE BASICS

FINAL SCORE: Chapman University - 3, Buffalo State - 0
SET SCORES: (20-25, 23-25, 19-25)
LOCATION: Sports Science Athletic Pavilion – La Verne, CA
RECORDS: Buffalo State (0-1, 0-0 SUNYAC), Chapman (1-0, 0-0 SCIAC)

INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Delia Lake (Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West) led the Bengals with 10 kills, while Nicole Delli Colli (Rye, NY/Rye) and Ella Wittman (Cheektowaga, NY/Springville Griffith) chipped in eight apiece.
• April Jakubowski (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster) handed out 20 assists, with Karlie Shaffer (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown East) adding 10.
• Adi Vergara (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico/Kingdom Christian) tallied 11 digs, while Lake added three block assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The opener was a back-and-forth battle, as the Bengals rallied from an early 9-6 deficit to tie the set at 9-9. The Panthers answered with a run of its own, building a 20-14 cushion before holding off a late Bengal push to take the first set.
• Set two followed a similar script. The Bengals erased a five-point deficit with a four-point surge to pull within one at 21-20, but the Panthers closed strong to claim the frame, 25-23.
• The Panthers jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the third set, and though the Bengals fought back to tie several times, the Panthers sealed the match with a late six-point run.

FOR THE FOES

• Olivia Harrison led Chapman with 13 kills and three blocks, while Olivia Sampson added 10 kills.

 
GAME TWO BASICS

FINAL SCORE: #7 University of La Verne - 3, Buffalo State - 0
SET SCORES: (18-25, 15-25, 16-25)
LOCATION: Sports Science Athletic Pavilion – La Verne, CA
RECORDS: Buffalo State (0-2, 0-0 SUNYAC), La Verne (2-0, 0-0 SCIAC)

INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Wittman paced Buffalo State with 11 kills, while Delli Colli added seven.
• Shaffer and Jakubowski distributed 14 assists apiece.
• Vergara anchored the defense with 18 digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Bengals battled the #7 Leopards early in the first set, but a mid-set four-point run gave La Verne separation en route to a 25-18 win.
• The Leopards raced out to a 10-3 advantage in set two and never looked back, cruising to a 25-15 victory.
• La Verne built a commanding 19-8 lead in the third, but the Bengals showed resilience with a five-point rally before the Leopards closed out the sweep.

FOR THE FOES

• Lauren Gott led the Leopards with 14 kills, while Malia Capristrano dished out 18 assists.
• Defensively, Mya Ray finished with 12 digs.

UP NEXT
The Bengals continue Pacific Coast Classic action tomorrow with two matches: California Lutheran at 1:00 p.m. (EST) and Pomona-Pitzer at 3:45 p.m. (EST).