by Casey Burinskas

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The No. 4 seed Penn State Altoona men's volleyball team had its conference playoff hopes dashed on Wednesday night, when the Lions were handed a 3-0 loss by No. 1 seed Buffalo State University in the semifinal round of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Tournament at the Sports Arena.

Penn State Altoona (9-17) was competitive across the match's three sets, but Buffalo State (27-4) came out on top by scores of 25-21, 25-20, and 25-18. The Bengals will now host the AMCC Championship match this Saturday, April 11, while the Lions are eliminated from the conference tournament.

Lukas Weathersbee (Altoona, PA/Altoona) had a team-high 12 points for Penn State Altoona on 11 kills and a service ace, while Caleb Fries (Altoona, PA/Altoona) totaled 11 points on 10 kills and an ace. Jack McKenna (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) added six kills to go along with a match-high nine digs, and he was named to the AMCC All-Tournament team after the match.

Shawn Thomas (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) put up a team-best 14 assists, while Travis Johns (Elderton, PA/West Shamokin) recorded nine assists.

Altoona quickly settled in early in the first set, using an offensive attack led by McKenna and Ethan Wooldridge (Sinking Spring, PA/Wilson) to build an early 5-2 lead. Altoona capitalized on a couple Buffalo State service errors and found rhythm through Thomas and Johns, while Weathersbee also got involved with kills to keep the Lions in the set. Momentum began to shift midway through the set as Buffalo State pieced together a run. The Bengals turned a 5-2 deficit into a 7-5 lead with a service ace, two kills, and a block. From there, the set became a back-and-forth battle, with Altoona getting key contributions from Weathersbee and Fries to stay within striking distance. Strong play at the net helped Altoona tie the set multiple times, including at 13-13 and again at 19-19. Late in the set, however, Buffalo State played more cleanly in the biggest moments. Kills, along with a few costly Altoona errors, allowed the Bengals to create separation down the stretch. Despite a late kill from McKenna to keep the Lions close, Buffalo State closed the set on a 6-2 run to secure a 25-21 victory and take a 1-0 lead in the match.

The Lions answered early in the second set with kills from Weathersbee and Fries, but the Bengals continued to stay a step ahead, using strong play to maintain control. Despite some lineup adjustments by Altoona, Buffalo State steadily built a lead and pushed it to 9-5 midway through the set. Altoona showed flashes of offensive rhythm, particularly through Weathersbee and Fries, who combined for multiple kills to keep the Lions within reach. The Lions cut the gap to 10-8, and later to 16-15, as Altoona took stride on a few Buffalo State errors. However, each time the Lions threatened, Buffalo State responded with points. The turning point came late in the set when Buffalo State put together a decisive run, stretching a narrow 16-15 lead into a commanding 21-15 advantage. Altoona struggled to find consistent offense during that stretch, with several attack errors and blocks by the Bengals halting any comeback attempt. While the Lions managed a few late points, including a kill from Weathersbee, Buffalo State remained in control and closed out the set with a 25-20 win, taking a 2-0 lead in the match.

Altoona came out with urgency in the third set, looking to extend the match, and quickly established control with a 6-2 run. The Lions were aggressive early, getting rhythm from Fries and Weathersbee while taking advantage of Buffalo State errors. Wooldridge provided a spark during the run with a service ace, and Altoona's offense flowed well. Buffalo State responded through the set, tightening things up behind Gavin Wilczewski and Kieran Eagen. After trailing 9-6, the Bengals strung together a key run fueled by Altoona errors and consistent attacking to flip the score into a 14-11 lead for the home team. Despite Altoona briefly stopping the momentum with kills from Fries and Weathersbee, Buffalo State continued to apply pressure down the stretch. Altoona couldn't regain its early rhythm as Buffalo State executed cleanly in the final points. A late push by the Lions, highlighted by a service ace from Andrew Kubiak (East Aurora, NY/East Aurora), cut into the deficit, but it wasn't enough to shift momentum. The Bengals closed the set with authority, finishing on a 5-1 run capped by a service ace to secure a 25-18 victory and complete the straight-sets sweep, also concluding the Lions' season and run in the AMCC Tournament.