Men's Volleyball Roadtrip Unsuccessful As They Fall To Potsdam & Buffalo State

POTSDAM, New York – The Men's volleyball team was in action today taking on the Bears of SUNY Potsdam and the Bengals on Buffalo State. The Pride would fall short in both matches bringing their record to 4-2 on the year.

Regis vs. Potsdam
Regis controlled the opening set with steady offense and consistent pressure from the service line. Adam Bonica and Jalen Watt set the tone early as the Pride built a 8–5 advantage. Regis continued to stretch the lead behind strong distribution from Evan Shank. Nangle would deliver a clutch kill and Watt closed the set with a service ace to secure a 25–21 win.

Set two was tightly contested early, with neither side able to create separation. Shank again continued to spread the offense, but Potsdam began to gain momentum behind consistent attacking from the Kilinski brothers, using a scoring run to turn a 14–14 tie into a multi-point advantage. Regis fought back late but Potsdam closed the set strong with efficient net play to take it 25–19.

Regis came out sharp, jumping to an early lead behind kills from Brandon Valdes and John Nangle to build a 7–2 advantage. Potsdam responded with a sustained run, capitalizing on service pressure and blocks at the net to erase the deficit and tie the score at 11–11. After trading points into the mid-teens, Potsdam gained separation with a late surge stretching the lead to 20–15. Regis tried to stop the momentum with kills, but Potsdam closed the set cleanly to take it 25–19.

The Pride opened the set aggressively but Potsdam quickly flipped momentum, using a stretch of efficient attacking once again from the Kilinski brothers to turn a tight start into an advantage. Despite timely kills from Houatchanthara, Valdes, and Nangle, Regis struggled to slow Potsdam's offense through the middle of the set as the home team extended their lead into double digits. The Pride showed resilience late, but Potsdam maintained control and closed the frame 25–16.

Regis vs Buffalo St.
The opening set was competitive early, with Valdes, Bonica, and Nangle finding points at the net as Regis stayed within striking distance. Buffalo State began to separate midway through the set behind strong serving and transition offense, forcing the Pride out of system. Regis responded with a late push, sparked by kills from, trimming the deficit to two. However, Buffalo State answered immediately with back-to-back points and closed the set efficiently to take the early advantage 25-21.

Regis delivered its strongest response of the match in set two, showing composure and balance on both sides of the net. The Pride leaned on Shank's setting once again to keep Buffalo State guessing, spreading the offense. After Buffalo State built a late lead, Regis mounted a key rally behind aggressive serving and disciplined blocking, flipping momentum in the final points. The Pride closed the set with confidence to even the sets, 25-23.

Buffalo State seized control early in the third set and never looked back. A long scoring run fueled by service aces and strong net defense quickly put Regis on its heels. The Pride struggled to find rhythm offensively as Buffalo State controlled the tempo and limited second-chance opportunities. Despite kills from Bonica and Houatchanthara, Buffalo State maintained steady pressure and pulled away decisively to regain the match lead winning this set 25-14.

The fourth set opened with both teams trading points, as Regis looked to extend the match behind steady production. The Pride briefly found momentum midway through the set, closing the gap and forcing extended rallies. Buffalo State responded with a timely run, using strong serving and efficient side-out play to regain control. Regis continued to fight, earning late points through the middle, but Buffalo State stayed composed down the stretch and closed out the set 25-21 to secure the match.

Inside the Numbers

• Evan Shank Recorded 64 Assists on the day.
• Brandon Valdes tallied 13 Digs over the course of both matches.

Up Next
The Pride are back in action next Saturday, January 31st at MIT.