CORTLAND, NY – The Alfred University women's volleyball team won both of their season-opening matches against Buffalo State and Lebanon Valley Friday evening at the SUNY Cortland Tournament.
 
The Saxons (2-0, 0-0 Empire 8) opened their 2016 season with a win over Buffalo State, 3-1. Friday's set scores against the Bengals saw the Saxons get out to an early 2-0 lead before Buffalo State claimed the third set. The Saxons won with scores of 26-24, 25-22, 18-25, 25-15.
 
This was the first Alfred University women's volleyball victory over Buffalo State in almost 17 years. The last win occurred on October 9, 1999 during the Oneonta Tournament where AU won, 3-0 to complete the two-match series sweep that year.
 
Alfred then took Lebanon Valley to a full five sets, winning 3-2 with a set score of 19-25, 25-17, 25-20, 28-30, 15-13. The win against Buffalo State was the first season-opening win since 2012 when Alfred University defeated Cazenovia College in a solo match, winning 3-2. The pair of wins were the first back-to-back wins to open a season since the Saxons defeated Penn State-Behrend 2-1 (15-9, 10-15, 15-8) and Nazareth College 2-0 (15-7, 15-11) in 1992. The wins in '92 were also at the SUNY Cortland Tournament on September 4.
 
First year Amber Smith (Penfield, NY/Webster Schroeder) had a great start to her collegiate career as she finished 16-of-48 attacks (.146 pct) against Buffalo State. She then tallied 14 kills from her 47 attempts (.149 pct) against Lebanon Valley. Smith added three service aces against Lebanon and totaled 41 digs between the two matches with setting her collegiate career-high at 22 against the Bengals.
 
Smith had one solo block and three assisted blocks on the evening while also earning credited assists on two kills against Lebanon.
 
In the later match, junior Heather D'Andrea (Erie, PA/Mercyhurst Prep) posted a 12-kill performance while senior Mary Lou Patnaude (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) had 11 kills from 31 total attacks (.194 pct). She then added 11 digs.
 
Sophomore Elisabeth Estep (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) led the Saxons in digs on the day with 25 in the late match and a team-second of 21 in the season-opener.
 
Junior setter Aubrey Totsline (Fairport, NY/Fairport) had 42 assists against Lebanon Valley and 26 against the Bengals. Her performance in the late match was four assists away from breaking her career best of 45, which was established against Utica College last year on October 24.
 
The Saxons will next square off with Wells College on Saturday at 1:30 pm and then the hosts, SUNY Cortland at 4:00 pm.