BUFFALO, NY – The Alfred University women's volleyball team dropped a pair of non-conference matches to close out the Buffalo State Bengal Challenge on Saturday.
 
The Saxons (3-7, 0-0 Empire 8) came out swinging against Penn State-Behrend in the morning match, winning the first two sets, 25-18 and 25-22 but gave up the last three sets, 13-25, 11-25 and 8-15, falling to the Lions (8-3, 0-0 AMCC). AU lost the final match of the day, 3-0 to the Bengals (6-6, 0-0 SUNYAC), 13-25, 19-25, 16-25.
 
Match One
Alfred University – 2  |  Penn State-Behrend – 3
 
Taylor Malone (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) led the scoring efforts with 14.0 points from 14 kills while Jamie Chun (Hilo, HI/Hilo) added 12.0 points from 12 kills while adding 15 digs. Chun hit a .219 to lead AU with only five errors on 32 attacks.
 
Darian Ortiz (Santa Fe, NM/St. Michael's) led the Saxons with 20 digs while adding five service aces. Delaney Sims (Bogart, GA/George Walton Academy) had 30 set assists to lead the Saxons.
 
AU got out to an early, 20-8 lead over the Lions before PS-Behrend responded with a 10-3 run, making it a 23-18 advantage for AU. After a kill from Fiona McNeil (Fayetteville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) and an attack error from PSB, the Saxons picked up the first set win.
 
Alfred held the lead almost the entire second set before a four-point run from the Lions tied the set, 22-22. An attack error, bad set and a Malone kill closed out the set for the AU, 2-0 lead before giving up the last three sets.
 
Match Two
Alfred University – 0  |  Buffalo State – 3
 
Malone led AU again with 17.0 points from 16 kills and one ace, adding 11 digs. Madalynn McGowan (Corona, CA/Norco) had 23 digs to lead in the nightcap while Sims had 25 set assists.
 
Buffalo State scoring runs were the deciding factor in all three sets.

After all was said and done, Malone was named to the 2023 Bengal Challenge All-Tournament Team for her efforts.
 
The Saxons will next host St. John Fisher University to open Empire 8 play on Friday, September 29 at 6:00pm.