BUFFALO, NY – The Buffalo State women's volleyball team put up a strong fight in their Bengal Tournament opener but ultimately fell to the Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets, 3-1.

GAME BASICS

FINAL SCORE: Baldwin Wallace - 3, Buffalo State - 1
SET SCORES: (28-26, 17-25, 21-25, 22-25)
LOCATION: Sports Arena – Buffalo, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: (5-7, 0-0 SUNYAC), Baldwin Wallace: (5-6, 0-0 OAC)

INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Ella Wittman (Cheektowaga, NY/Springville Griffith) led the Bengals with 14 kills in tonight's matchup, while Anel Acosta (North Tonawanda, NY/North Tonawanda) added seven kills.
• April Jakubowski (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster) steered the offense with a team-high 25 assists.
• On the defensive end, Hailey Kulniszewski (Elma, NY/Iroquois) recorded a match-high 10 digs. Delaney McCarthy (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West) anchored the front line with five block assists, with Delia Lake (Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West) contributing three more.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Buffalo State Bengals opened day one of the Bengal Tournament with a tough matchup against the Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets. The first set would set the tone for a competitive night, as both teams traded points early. A three-point rally gave the Bengals the edge, but the Yellow Jackets responded with four straight to cut the lead to one. The Bengals answered with a five-point rally to stay in control, and with the score tied at 25, the Bengals dug deep for three straight points to close out the set and take a 1-0 lead.
• The Yellow Jackets bounced back in the second set, opening with five straight points to grab early momentum. Despite the Bengals' efforts to rally back, the Yellow Jackets held them off just enough to close out the set and even the match at 1-1.
• The third set proved to be the most intense of the night, with both sides trading points and refusing to give an inch. Midway through, a five-point rally from the Yellow Jackets gave them the edge, but the Bengals countered with four straight to tie it up again. With both teams racing to reach 25, it was the Yellow Jackets who struck first, claiming the set and a 2-1 match lead.
• With their backs against the wall, the Bengals came out strong in the fourth set with a dominant seven-point rally to take an early lead. However, the Yellow Jackets stayed resilient, clawing back point by point before unleashing an eight-point rally of their own to seize control. The final points featured impressive defensive stands from both teams, but the Bengals ultimately fell just short as the Yellow Jackets took the fourth set and handed Buffalo State a 3-1 loss on day one of the tournament.

FOR THE FOES

• Gabby Schlecht powered the Yellow Jackets' attack with a match-high 19 kills.
• Katarina Blazetic dished out 44 assists to lead all players, while Paige Contris anchored the defense with 14 digs and Lexi Smith added two blocks to pace Baldwin Wallace at the net.

UP NEXT
The Bengals return for day two of the Bengal Tournament tomorrow, taking on Alfred State at 11:00 A.M. before facing St. John Fisher at 5:00 P.M.