Farmingdale State picked up its first win of the 2026 season Thursday night, overcoming CCNY in a five-set battle, 3-2, at Nat Holman Gymnasium. The Rams controlled the opening two sets, taking the first 25-16 before following with an even more convincing 25-12 victory in the second. Farmingdale's offense was particularly effective in the second frame, hitting .407 as a team while Alana Henry went a perfect 4-for-4 on attacks and added a block. Mackenzie Marquardt also provided an early spark with five kills in the opening set, helping the Rams establish a 2-0 advantage and put themselves one set away from victory.
CCNY refused to go quietly, responding with a pair of comeback set victories to force a decisive fifth. The Beavers took the third set 25-22 before edging Farmingdale 25-23 in the fourth, erasing the Rams' early two-set advantage. With the match hanging in the balance, Samantha Russo stepped up for Farmingdale in the final frame. After CCNY took a 7-6 lead, the Rams ripped off four straight points, including two kills from Russo and an ace from Henry. Caroline Lange then delivered a solo block to help Farmingdale build another three-point run and take a 13-8 advantage before Russo and Lange supplied the final two kills to seal the victory.
Russo finished with a match-high 10 kills and 16 digs, while Leslie Wandmacher added nine kills and Marquardt and Henry each contributed eight. Henry was especially efficient, hitting .357 while recording two total blocks. Senior setter Sarah Rende directed the Rams' attack with 36 assists and added 10 digs, while Allison Salinas anchored the back row with 13 digs. Samantha DiBiasi and Jessica Farrell also made important defensive contributions with 12 and 10 digs, respectively, as Farmingdale held on to improve to 1-1 on the season.