WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

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Brandie Clark

SYRACUSE, NY - The host Orange got the best of the University at Buffalo volleyball team Tuesday afternoon, taking a dramatic 36-34 win in game one and then earning 30-19 and 30-27 wins in games two and three for a decisive 3-0 shutout. Junior Brandie Clark (Medicine Hat, Alberta/Medicine Hat) set a school record with 11 block assists to highlight the Bulls' efforts.

Syracuse (14-7) jumped out to a 6-0 lead in game one and then extended it to 12-2 to seemingly take control. The Bulls would not back down, however, and they eventually crept back into the game, tying it at 25-25 on a block by Clark and junior Lauren Burd (York, PA/Central York). Following a Syracuse timeout, Clark and Burd combined for two more blocks on the next three plays and sophomore Sarah Streib (Baldwinsville, NY/Baker) had a kill that gave the Bulls a slim 28-26 lead. A Buffalo service error then made the score 28-27, and the game remained a one-point battle until a kill by Syracuse's Aila Dommestrup followed by a Buffalo attack error gave the Orange an emotional 36-34 victory.

The Orange carried the momentum into game two, jumping out to a 10-3 lead and leading by as many as 13 points down the stretch of the 30-19 win. The Bulls looked like they were going to climb back into the match when they took a six-point lead, 15-9, to start game three, but Syracuse then embarked on a 9-2 run to take over the lead for good at 18-17 before ending the match at 30-27.

Clark had six of her career-high 11 block assists in game one. She broke the previous school record for block assists in a three-game match that was set by Sasha Courbat with 10 at Canisius on September 27, 2000. Clark added 11 digs in the match for a double-double.

Burd finished with a team-high 10 kills and seven blocks, and senior Katie Weekley (Dayton, OH/Chaminade-Julienne) had five kills and six blocks. Streib added seven kills and a career-high 15 digs, and senior Amy Brown (Pittsburgh, PA/Mt. Lebanon) finished with 30 assists, three kills and 10 digs.

Syracuse was led by Kelly Duan (14 kills, five digs, four blocks), Kristen Conway (11 kills, 11 digs) and Dommestrup (32 assists, four kills, four digs).

Buffalo (8-12 overall, 0-6 MAC) returns home to host two Mid-American Conference matches this weekend. The Bulls host No. 23 Ohio on Friday, October 14 and Kent State on Saturday, October 15. Both matches begin at 6 pm.