HAMBURG, N.Y. – Hilbert College took Buffalo State University to four sets tonight in a rematch non-conference men's volleyball game in the Hafner Recreation Center.
The Hawks (5-13) almost stole the second set, playing to a 26-24 score, but were able to outlast the Bengals in the 30-28 third set.
Buffalo State took a 25-16 and a 25-18 set win to open and close the night, as they improved to 12-12 in their inaugural season of men's volleyball.
Alex Overhoff and
Brad Converse each netted double doubles in kills and digs. Overhoff led the Hawks with 13 kills (.308) and added 11 digs (1 ace) while Converse led with 13 digs and reached 11 kills.
Connor Higgins was three kills away from hitting double digits while recording a team-best 18 digs and
Tyler Hassell (8 kills) and Converse each posted a solo block at the net.
Austin Chandler was credited with 36 of the Hawks 40 assists and still found room for eight digs.
Buffalo State appeared at times to take over in the opening set, but Hilbert never allowed them to stack more than three points together in a run. Back-to-back kills by Hassell and Converse gave Hilbert some light, pulling in a 21-15 score, but the Bengals reached 25 points before the Hawks hit 17.
After trailing 8-3, Hilbert made a nice run to even the score at 9-all in the second set. The visitors inched away to a four-point lead, yet the Hawks rallied back and capped the score at 24-all off an Overhoff kill and a Higgins and
Mehkai Francis block at the net. The Bengals won their final two points off an attack and then on defense with another solo block to move to a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Hawks had to dig themselves out of another six-point hole early in the third set, and they fueled their rally on attack. Hilbert recorded six kills and a solo block to force a one-point game (14-13) and then continued to roll building a 17-15 advantage. The Hawks never relinquished the lead but allowed Buffalo State to knot the score 12 times, the final at 28-28. Converse earned the 29th point and BSU gave the Hawks the win off an attack error.
The fourth set was exciting early when both teams traded points and played to a 6-6 score. Buffalo State started to pull away, but the Hawks knotted the game at 16's and 17's. The Bengals stacked five points before they gave Hilbert a side out after committing a service error; they then scored the final three points for the 25-18 win.
Hilbert returns to the road with another AMCC contest at Carlow University this Saturday, March 23rd. They return to Hamburg twice next week to host Thiel College March 27th and then the team's Senior Day celebrations on Saturday, March 30th against Mount Aloysius College.
