Score: Ramapo College 3 – Elmira College 1
Records: Ramapo (8-7), Elmira (4-14)
Location: Bradley Center – Mahwah, N.J.
 
MAHWAH, N.J. -- Despite career-high performances from Matthew Buffum '18, Ryan McDonough '18 and Matt Straney '20, the Elmira College men's volleyball team dropped a tight four-set decision on the road to Ramapo College, 25-23, 25-22, 25-27, 26-24. With the loss, Elmira's record falls to 4-14 during the 2017 campaign.   
 
Elmira fell behind by four points on two different occasions in the opening set, once at 18-14 and again late in the set at 21-17. However, EC went on to win six of the next eight points to level the opening frame at 23-all. During that stretch, Matthew Buffum '18 floored five of his career-high 19 kills. Unfortunately for the Soaring Eagles, their hot hitting was neutralized on the next two points by a pair of Roadrunner blocks from Nick Amos and Justin Feigeles, which handed Ramapo a 25-23 opening-set victory.
 
Ramapo rode the momentum from its first-set win into the second stanza, as the home team jumped out to a 10-7 lead. The three-point deficit did little to shake the confidence of the Soaring Eagles, who received a pair of block-assists in back-to-back points from Matt Straney '20, Ryan McDonough '18 and Mark Kawecki '17. The two rejections ignited an 8-2 run by the Purple and Gold to take a 15-12 lead. During that 10-point stretch, Straney logged three of his match- and career-high seven blocks.
 
Despite the three-point lead and riding high on an 8-2 run, Ramapo regrouped and won seven of the next eight points to pull back out in front, 19-16. The Roadrunners' three-point cushion proved to be the difference in the set, as Elmira battled back late to cut the lead to 24-22, but Ramapo's Feigeles closed the door on the EC men with a kill to secure a 2-sets-to-0 lead for the home team.
 
The competitive nature of tonight's match continued in the third set, as the two non-conference foes matched each other point-for-point with Elmira holding the largest lead in the set on two different occasions at 13-10 and 23-20. EC's 23-20 lead was highlighted by McDonough, who logged kills in three of the previous four points, forcing a Ramapo timeout.
 
Following the 60-second break, Ramapo rattled off three straight points on a pair of kills and a service ace to even the set at 23-all. The mini 3-0 run from the home team prompted another timeout, this one called by the Elmira bench.
 
Following the timeout, service errors by both Ramapo and Elmira brought the score to 24-24, which was followed by a double-block from Straney and Kawecki, as well as a Ramapo kill by Jordan Elam to bring the set to 25-25. With the set on the line, EC's starting setter, Jeremy Best '19, set Buffum in the middle on back-to-back points. The option to go with the 6-foot 8-inch Missouri native proved to be a good one, as the junior standout floored kills on the two passes, cutting the Roadrunner lead to 2-sets-to-1.
 
Elmira's third-set win helped set the tone for the fourth, as the Soaring Eagles led by as many as four points late in the set, 19-15, and eventually three points at 21-18. It looked safe to assume EC would force a fifth set in tonight's contest, but the Roadrunners changed those thoughts quickly by winning six of the next eight points behind a pair of mini two- and three-point runs to pull ahead, 23-22.
 
A double-block by McDonough and Straney on the ensuing point tied the set at 23-all, before the two teams traded the next two points to bring the score to 24-24. This would be as close as the Soaring Eagles would get, as the Roadrunners turned the lights out on EC's night with back-to-back kills to secure the four-set win.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Ramapo finished tonight's contest with a .186 attack percentage (53k-26e-145ta).
• Elmira logged a .159 attack percentage (51k-27e-151ta).
• Elmira's best hitting came in the third set, 12k-4e-38ta (.211).
• EC out-blocked Ramapo, 13-to-11.
• The Roadrunners assisted on 51 of their 53 kills, while EC assisted on 49 of its 51 kills.
• Ramapo made 62 digs, while Elmira recorded 53.
• EC led in service aces, 3-to-2.
• Buffum led all hitters with a match- and career-high 19 kills on a 19k-3e-32ta stat line (.500).
• Buffum also produced five blocks.
• McDonough finished with a double-double on 12 kills and a match- and career-high 15 digs.
• McDonough also logged four blocks.
• Kawecki was two kills shy of a double-double with eight kills and 10 digs.
• Straney registered a match- and career-high seven rejections.
• Best produced 45 of EC's 49 assists.

 
News and Notes

• Elmira has dropped four consecutive matches.
• EC also falls to 1-3 this season in true road contests.
• Buffum's 19 kills were a career high.
• It also marked the seventh time this season Buffum as finished with 10-or-more kills.
• McDonough's 15 digs were a career high.
• McDonough registered his third double-double of the year.
• Straney's seven blocks were a career high for the freshman middle.
• Straney became the first rookie to log seven or more blocks in one match since Buffum floored nine against Vassar during his debut season in 2015.

 
Up Next
Elmira returns to action this Friday, February 24, when the Soaring Eagles take on the Colonels of Wilkes University. The non-conference neutral-site matchup is set to take place at 7:00 p.m. at SUNY Poly's Wildcat Field House, located in Marcy, New York.