SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Buffalo State men's volleyball team held off New Jersey City this evening in a five-set thriller to advance in the NCAA Tournament inside Blake Arena. The win also marks the first NCAA Tournament victory in program history.
GAME BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 3, New Jersey City – 2
SET SCORES: (25-21, 22-25, 21-25, 32-30, 15-13)
LOCATION: Blake Arena – Springfield, MA
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 29-4 (12-0 AMCC), New Jersey City: 20-10 (8-0 SUNYAC)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
- Gavin Wilczewski (East Aurora, NY/East Aurora) led the Bengals offense with 22 kills and a .333 hitting percentage.
- Kaden Strong (Buffalo, NY/West Seneca East) chipped in ten kills while posting a .364 hitting percentage.
- Jackson Stang (Tonawanda, NY/Sweet Home) led the team with ten digs while Drew Bowman (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) dished out 48 assists.
- Kellen Palmer (Buffalo, NY/Canisius) was a force at the net with five solo blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Buffalo State came out firing as they scored eight of the first 12 points overall. After each side exchanged leads, the Bengals took a 21-20 lead and eventually scored four straight points to close out the opening set.
- The Gothic Knights bounced back in the second set. Despite a late lead from the Bengals, New Jersey City finished the set with a 5-1 run to even the score.
- New Jersey kept the momentum going in the third set. The set featured a late 10-2 run for the Gothic Knights to take a 2-1 set advantage.
- In the fourth set, both sides went back-and-forth refusing to give an inch. The Bengals finally forced a fifth set after an attack error from New Jersey City.
- A fast start in the fifth set proved to be crucial for the Bengals. After the Gothic Knights rallied to take an 8-5 lead, the Bengals found their rhythm and took control of the set. Buffalo State would eventually clinch the set and the match following a service error from New Jersey City.
FOR THE FOES
- Marcus Pardaise led the Gothic Knights with 25 kills while Alex Casais had 59 assists.
- Anthony Matute posted a match-high 22 digs in the effort.
UP NEXT
The Bengals advance to the first round of the NCAA Tournament where they will battle host-#1 Springfield tomorrow at 4:00 pm.
