Michele Benoit may have to reconsider scheduling matches on Fridays.

So far in 2019, John Carroll is 1-3 in matches played on Friday, and 8-0 in matches played on any other day.

Especially Saturdays. 

Today, a Saturday, John Carroll dismissed both host Buffalo State and Houghton in straight sets to finish 2-1 at the Buffalo State Bengal Challenge in Buffalo, New York.

The Blue Streaks have won 18 of a possible 22 games when matches have been staged on Saturdays this season.

On Friday, the tournament began for JCU with a match against St. John Fisher. Despite all three games being decided by two points, the Blue Streaks were swept by the scores of 25-23, 25-23, 26-24. In the third game, John Carroll was one point away from forcing a fourth set, but the Cardinals rallied to seal the match by winning five consecutive points. Cassi Calamunci had 11 kills and Ally Bartolone 23 assists in the effort.

Saturday proved to be a different story. John Carroll survived a close first game to handle the Bengals in the opener, 25-22, 25-19, 25-21. The Blue Streaks hit .238 as a team, with Bartolone and Shannon Atwell combining for 27 assists, while Anna Coughlin and Sarah Calabrese each tallying 16 digs.

Against a 6-1 Houghton squad, the Blue Streaks were aided by ten service aces in a sweep. The pivotal game was the middle frame, which stands as the longest played by a John Carroll team since the victory threshold for a game was set to 25 points in 2008. The Blue and Gold outlasted the Highlanders, 35-33, surpassing a 32-30 game against Muskingum on November 3, 2015.

Calamunci, who was named to the all-tournament team, had 13 kills, Bartolone had 20 assists and five aces, and Coughlin had 15 digs and three aces.

John carroll is now 9-3, its best 12-match start since going 10-2 to start the 2014 campaign.