Matthew Buffum '18 helped the men's volleyball team shake off a rough start and end a nine-match losing streak by leading the Soaring Eagles to wins in three of the four matches over the weekend. On Friday, February 10th, Elmira downed both Southern Vermont College and D'Youville College by identical 3-0 scores, before opening day two of the invite with a sweep of The Sage Colleges, a future United Volleyball Conference rival who's slated to join the league next season.
The 6-foot-7-inch Buffum finished the four-match home tournament with 30 kills and an average of 2.50 kills per set. His .449 attack percentage was the highest on the team among players with double-digit kills, while his 11 total blocks were a team best.
The Chesterfield, Missouri, native registered his two highest kill totals during Friday's matches, as he threw down eight against the Mountaineers and was near-perfect in the clash opposite the Spartans with nine kills on 10 attempts. The .900 attack percentage he accumulated against D'Youville is a new career high (min. five attempts). In each of Friday's tilts, Buffum also served a season-high three aces, while in the nightcap opposite the Spartans he racked up a weekend-high six total blocks. In Saturday's victory over the Gators, Buffum amassed another seven kills, two blocks, and one ace.
On the season, Buffum leads EC and ranks fifth in the UVC with an impressive .388 attack percentage, while his 0.80 blocks per set average is seventh-best in the circuit.
