Score: #2 New Paltz 3 – Elmira College 1 (23-25, 25-16, 25-21, 25-16)
Score: #4 UC Santa Cruz 3 – Elmira College 0 (25-10, 25-10, 25-15)
Records: Elmira (1-9), New Paltz (7-2), UC Santa Cruz (5-3)
Location: Kidera Gymnasium – Rochester, N.Y.
 
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's volleyball team suffered back-to-back setbacks on the opening day of action at the Golden Flyer Invitational, hosted by Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. Elmira faced some of the stiffest competition in the country, as the Soaring Eagles clashed with second-ranked SUNY New Paltz and fourth-ranked UC Santa Cruz. EC dropped a competitive four-setter to the Hawks of New Paltz, before falling in straight sets to UC Santa Cruz in the nightcap.
 
Although Elmira dropped its opening match of the invite to New Paltz, the Soaring Eagles gave the defending national champs an early scare by edging the Hawks by two points in the opening set, 25-23. Elmira trailed at 14-13 midway through the set, but a 3-0 run fueled by a pair of kills from Matthew Buffum '18 put the Purple and Gold on top, 16-14. The Soaring Eagles never relinquished their lead the rest of the way out to take a 1-set-to-0 advantage.
 
Credit Elmira's efficient hitting for its first-set victory, as the Soaring Eagles produced an ultra-high attack percentage of 52.4-percent (14k-3e-21ta). Unfortunately for Elmira, it unable to maintain its high level of hitting in the remaining sets, resulting in New Paltz winning three straight to take the match, 3-1.
 
The Soaring Eagles totaled just 20 kills in the final three sets combined and swung at just 9.2-percent (20k-14e-65ta). Adding to Elmira's headaches were its 14 receiving errors.
 
The fourth-ranked Banana Slugs of UC Santa Cruz flexed its muscle in the nightcap with a one-sided straight-set victory over Elmira. The Banana Slugs were firing on all cylinders, hitting a combined 52.9-percent for the match on a 45k-8e-70ta stat line, while the Soaring Eagles hit a mere 2.6-percent (19k-17e-77ta).
 
Senior Mark Kawecki '17 led Elmira with seven kills, while EC's starting setter Jeremy Best '19 finished the match with 12 assists and five kills.  
 
Inside the Box Score (New Paltz)

• New Paltz hit 39.8-percent for the match on a 58k-17e-103ta stat line.
• Elmira connected at a 19.8-percent clip on a 34k-17e-86ta stat line.
• The Hawks won 79 total points compared to Elmira's 49.
• New Paltz led in service aces, 14-to-7.
• Elmira produced eight blocks, while New Paltz finished with seven.
• New Paltz assisted on 54 of its 58 kills.
• Elmira assisted on 33 of its 34 kills.
• The Hawks led in digs, 27-to-21.
• Buffum led Elmira with a team-high 12 kills and a match-high six blocks.
• McDonough logged five kills and four digs.
• Kawecki finished with five kills and a match-high 10 digs.
• Best amassed 33 assists.
• Symer registered a team-high three service aces.

 
Inside the Box Score (UC Santa Cruz)

• UC Santa Cruz hit a blistering 52.9-percent from the floor (45k-8e-70ta).
• Elmira struggled to find its rhythm with a 2.9-percent success rate (19k-17e-77ta).
• The Banana Slugs won 57-of-80 points.
• Kills were heavily in favor of UC Santa Cruz, 45-to-19.
• UC Santa Cruz led in service aces, 4-to-1.
• Blocks were also in favor of the Banana Slugs, 8-to-3.
• Elmira logged just 12 digs compared to UC Santa Cruz's 37.
• UC Santa Cruz assisted on 42 of its 45 kills, while EC assisted on 12 of its 19 kills.
• Kawecki led Elmira with seven kills, while Best and Buffum added five and four, respectively.
• Symer served up EC's lone ace of the match.
• Best, McDonough and Cleveland each produced one block apiece.
• Branigan led EC with three digs.

 
News and Notes

• Elmira fell to 1-9 on the season.
• EC has dropped eight in a row since topping then-No. 11 Rutgers Newark on January 20th.
• Elmira concludes its season-long 10-match road trip tomorrow against Johnson & Wales.
• Buffum's six total blocks against New Paltz is his second-highest single-match total of the year.
• Buffum also registered his fifth double-digit kill performance of the season.

 
Up Next
Elmira concludes action at the Golden Flyer Invitational tomorrow afternoon with a 3:00 p.m. non-league matchup with Johnson & Wales.