BUFFALO, NY – The Buffalo State women's volleyball team fell in both of their contests today, with their first hiccup coming against the John Carroll University Blue Streaks, 3-1, before falling to the SUNY Geneseo Knights, 3-1, to close out their second and final day in the Bengal Challenge.
GAME ONE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: John Carroll – 3, Buffalo State – 1
SET SCORES: (25-18, 17-25, 13-25, 17-25)
LOCATION: Sports Arena – Buffalo, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 3-5 (0-0 SUNYAC), John Carroll University: 9-2 (0-0 NCAC)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
- Anel Acosta (North Tonawanda, NY/North Tonawanda) and Ella Wittman (Cheektowaga, NY/Springville-Griffith) kept the Bengals' offensive machine rolling with eight kills each.
- Alex Arroyo (Nesconset, NY/Smithtown East) played the Bengals' main facilitator throughout the contest, racking up 25 assists to lead all players.
- Defensively, Dani Dury (Amherst, OH/Marion L. Steele) led the Bengals with 15 digs, while Arroyo finished with 11 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Returning for Day Two of the Bengal Challenge, the Bengals looked to piggyback off their eventful win last night over the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets, as they went head-to-head with the John Carroll University Blue Streaks.
- Opening the first set, the Bengals had their work cut out for them, as the Blue Streaks started off hot and gained a lead over the Bengals. However, an eight-point run from the Bengals would put them ahead of the Blue Streaks, a key moment for the Bengals in this set. As play continued, the Blue Streaks would try to fight back in the set, but the Bengals would hold them off, cruising ahead to pick up the first-set win.
- The second set would see the Blue Streaks respond, as after a run of point trading between these two sides, the Blue Streaks would go on their own eight-point run to down the Bengals in the set and tie up this matchup.
- In the third set, the Blue Streaks would go on cruise control, storming out to a 9-0 point lead over the Bengals. This lead would force the Bengals to play from behind for most of the set and would ultimately cost them, as the Blue Streaks' lead was too much, with the Bengals falling in the third set.
- In the fourth and final set of this matchup, both sides would trade points throughout play, as the Bengals looked to force a fifth set. However, this would come to a halt, as the Blue Streaks would once again use a multi-point run, this time of ten straight points, with the Bengals falling short in this contest and losing their first match in the Bengal Challenge.
FOR THE FOES
- Natalie Glowe led all players with 15 kills, while Tess Murray led the Blue Streaks with 24 assists.
- Defensively, Murray led the Blue Streaks with 19 digs, while Khloe Trivoli led all players with three total blocks.
GAME TWO BASICS
FINAL SCORE: SUNY Geneseo – 3, Buffalo State – 1
SET SCORES: (19-25, 25-17, 22-25, 19-25)
LOCATION: Sports Arena – Buffalo, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 3-6 (0-0 SUNYAC), SUNY Geneseo: 5-6 (0-0 Empire 8)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
- Wittman led all players with 17 kills in this contest, while Arroyo led all players with 39 assists.
- Defensively, Dury led all players with 18 digs, while Kate Rutigliano (Martinsville, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) led the Bengals with three total blocks at the net.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After falling to the John Carroll University Blue Streaks in their first contest of the day, the Bengals looked to rebound against the SUNY Geneseo Knights in their closing bout of the day.
- In the first set, the Bengals would fall behind after the Knights got out to a hot start with back-to-back five-point runs. As the Knights looked to storm away and close out the first set, the Bengals would dig deep, rallying five straight points of their own before tying the matchup late. While momentum leaned the Bengals' way, the Knights would hold firm as they closed out the Bengals with a six-point rally to take the first-set win.
- The tide would change in the second set, as the Bengals would learn from their mistakes in the first set and jump out early on the Knights. Some great defense and strong offensive play would put the Bengals in control of this set, cruising to the finish line and taking the second-set win.
- In the third set, the Knights and the Bengals would go tick for tack throughout the early portion of the set. After a three-point rally would give the Bengals a strong lead midway through the set, the Knights would return the favor with back-to-back multi-point runs before closing out the Bengals late and forcing the Bengals to fight for a fifth set.
- In the fourth set, the Bengals would control much of the play throughout the set, but a few costly mistakes would give the Knights some life in this final set of play. Back-to-back three-point runs from the Knights would see the Bengals cling on as much as they could, but it wouldn't be enough, as they fell in the closing contest of their Bengal Challenge against the Knights.
FOR THE FOES
- Kathryn Barba led the Knights with 12 kills, while Jessica Macken led with 11 assists.
- Defensively, Barba led with 12 digs, while Ayla Pas'cal led all players with six total blocks.
UP NEXT
The Bengals will use the remainder of the weekend as a break before returning home for another nonconference contest against the Nazareth University Golden Flyers on Tuesday, September 22nd at 6:00 PM.
