PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team dropped a hard-fought 3-2 (21-25, 25-13, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12) decision to Buffalo State in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action Saturday afternoon on Senior Day at Memorial Hall.
 
Prior to the start of the match, the Cardinals honored their seven seniors: setter Allyssa Rock (West Chazy, N.Y./Beekmantown), outside hitter/opposite Meghan O'Brien (Marietta, N.Y./Marcellus), libero/defensive specialist Maddy Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa), setter Olga Muka (Hicksville, N.Y./Holy Trinity Diocesan), middle hitter Alicia Fisher (Brooklyn, N.Y./Science Skills), opposite Kaitlyn Bjelko (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown) and middle hitter Ann Beauchamp (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam).
 
Buffalo State hit .137 for the match and held a 14-12 advantage in service aces, while Plattsburgh State owned 12-9 cushion in blocks and an 81-79 edge in digs.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 7-9 overall (1-4 SUNYAC) with the loss and next visits SUNY Geneseo on Friday, Oct. 8, at 6 p.m. Buffalo State rises to 7-8 overall (2-3 SUNYAC) with the win and hosts SUNY New Paltz on Friday, Oct. 8, at 6 p.m.
 
The Cardinals relied on a four-point surge that included a pair of service aces by sophomore defensive specialist/outside hitter Payton Zophy to take a 10-5 advantage early in the first set, but the Bengals then rattled off four straight points to draw within one. The two teams battled back and forth before a kill by junior outside hitter/opposite Jenn Braun (Garrison, N.Y./Walter Panas) and a Bengal attacking error staked Plattsburgh State to an 18-14 advantage and forced a Buffalo State timeout. Buffalo State was unable to mount a rally down the stretch, and the Cardinals took the first set, 25-21.
 
Buffalo State rattled off seven straight points early in the second set to break open an 11-2 lead, and the Bengals cruised the remainder of the stanza to a 25-13 win in the second.
 
The Bengals scored the first seven points of the third set and appeared in control after a kill by first-year right side/middle hitter Eden Harrison gave the visitors a 23-14 advantage. Plattsburgh State then mounted an improbable 11-0 tear, and a block assist by Bjelko and Beauchamp gave the Cardinals the lead before Bjelko sealed the 25-23 set victory with a kill.
 
Plattsburgh State controlled the early going of the fourth set, with a Bjelko kill putting the Cardinals in front, 9-4. A 7-2 Bengal surge tied the match at 12-all, but kills by O'Brien and Braun and a Plattsburgh State attacking error gave the Cardinals a 15-12 advantage. Another 7-2 Buffalo State run wound up giving the visitors the separation they needed to post a 25-19 triumph in the fourth.
 
The two teams went point for point early in the fifth set before three straight Buffalo State points resulted in a 12-9 Bengal lead. Payton Zophy broke up the run with a kill before the Bengals won two straight points to bring up match point. Payton Zophy staved off match point before a Bengal hitting error drew the Cardinals within 14-12. Buffalo State's senior middle hitter Liz Schultheis floored a kill on the ensuing Bengal rally to give Buffalo State a 15-12 match-clinching victory in the fifth.
 
Braun led the Cardinal offense with 12 kills, while Rock and Muka dished out 16 and 14 assists, respectively. Maddy Zophy defended a match-high 29 digs, while Payton Zophy registered 17 digs and four service aces. Rock posted 11 digs to complete the double-double. Beauchamp reinforced the front row defensively with six total blocks (all assist).
 
For Buffalo State, senior outside hitter Alena McKelvey, Harrison and Schultheis notched 13, 12 and 11 kills, respectively, while junior defensive specialist Jenna Hugenschmidt recorded 21 digs and five service aces. Sophomore setter Riley Domin tallied a 31-assist, 11-dig double-double, while McKelvey completed her double-double with 16 assists.