Utica, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly men's volleyball team came up just short against both the Westminster Blue Jays and the Buffalo State Bengals on day two of the SUNY Poly Invitational. The Wildcats are now 1-3 on the season and will look to bounce back in their upcoming tri-match against Elms and Regis College.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
GAME 1: SUNY Poly vs. Westminster
The match started with an early kill from SUNY Poly's Kaiden Ranger, but Westminster quickly answered, building a steady lead throughout the set. Despite rallying efforts from Peter Gottler and Adam Brawn, the Wildcats struggled to overcome Westminster's offensive consistency. The Blue Jays capitalized on Wildcats' mistakes and took the first set 25-17.
The Wildcats kept it close early in the second set, helped by scoring runs and strong play from their front row, but Westminster's timely kills and service aces allowed them to pull away late. The Blue Jays sealed the set 25-17.
With their backs against the wall, the Wildcats came out strong in the third set, led by impressive kills from Jason Aubrey and Corey Hollingsworth. A tight, back-and-forth battle ensued, but strong contributions from Brawn, Gottler, and Joshua Slater led the Wildcats to a thrilling 29-27 victory.
In the fourth set, the Blue Jays gained an early advantage, but the Wildcats kept fighting thanks to plays from Andrew Baaki and Jason Aubrey. However, attack and service errors in the middle of the set allowed Westminster to build a lead. The Blue Jays finished strong, taking the set 25-19 and the match 3-1.
GAME 2: SUNY Poly vs. Buffalo State
The Bengals jumped out to an early lead in the first set, but the Wildcats responded with strong kills from Adam Brawn. The teams exchanged multiple kills and errors, keeping the set competitive, but Buffalo State capitalized on key plays down the stretch to win the set 25-23.
In the second set, Buffalo State started to pull away after a series of early kills from both teams. Despite a few strong pushes from SUNY Poly, including kills from Kaiden Ranger and Jason Aubrey, the Bengals' offensive firepower kept them in control. A late scoring run gave Buffalo State the 25-19 set win.
The Wildcats came out strong in the third set, taking an early lead with kills from Joshua Slater and Andrew Baaki. Buffalo State kept things close, but crucial plays from Jason Aubrey and Peter Gottler helped the Wildcats hold their ground and take the set 25-21.
The fourth set was a dramatic back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading points throughout. Despite an early push from Buffalo State, the Wildcats had an answer every time. The set stayed close due to errors from both teams, but it was the Bengals who eventually emerged victorious, winning the set 28-26 and securing the 3-1 match victory.
