"Map?PI and Clarke, off the court"

From the dangerous mountain passes of West Virginia to overnights in haunted hotel-rooms, the Canadian tandem of Jenna Map?(c) and Brandie Clark have created many memories in their four years as Buffalo volleyball players.

Map?(c) and Clark, both senior starters for the Bulls, played major roles on Tuesday night when the Bulls won its 10th consecutive match over cross town rival Canisius (30-20, 30-26, 27-30, 30-28). This victory surpasses the previous record of nine straight wins since Buffalo joined Division I competition.

For this pair, nicknamed the "Dynamic Duo" by former Bulls head coach Sally Kus, it was Buffalo volleyball that brought them together and each other that brought them to Buffalo.

Both grew up in Alberta, yet neither knew one another. It was only after a prospect camp in Saskatchewan where Buffalo scouts began to recruit the two that they finally became acquainted.

"I went home and I was called by Buffalo and talked about coming there," Map?(c) said. "Then they started talking about Brandie and how they were recruiting another player from Alberta."

"So we started talking on-line, like 'hey what do you like about Buffalo, do you want to go,'" Clark continued.

In the end, it was Brandie Clark's trip to Buffalo, and meeting with the team, that convinced both girls that Buffalo was the university and team for them.

"It was kind of like if you go, I'll go," both girls said in unison.

So before they had ever met in person, they already had a bond. Their first actual meeting was the weekend after they both signed at Buffalo. Brandie traveled to Jenna's house and off they went on a six-hour road trip together. The two hit it off so well they decided to extend their vacation.

"We had never met and we went on this full out road trip," Map?(c) said. "We ended up calling our parents and telling them we were going to stay extra nights. It was supposed to be one night but it ended up being three or four nights."

The two continued their friendship by rooming together their freshman year, and the three years after that as well.

"Homesickness was a cycle for us," Map?(c) said. "One week she would be homesick and I would be fine, like I love it here, and then I would be homesick for a week and cry my eyes out every night and she would come over and comfort me."

"Honestly, I wouldn't have made it that far from home without her," Clark said.

Four years of living, playing and traveling together has given the girls a lot of memories. Their most memorable road trip was to Huntington, West Virginia.

"We had the worst bus driver ever," Clark said. "When we got onto the bus she got on the PA and started giving her bio, how she has a perfect driving record and how she has never hit a deer. Just jinxing herself the whole weekend."

While driving so erratically through the narrow mountain roads, so much so that a dose of Dramamine could not calm Map?(c)'s motion sickness, the bus driver's perfect record was ruined.

"I was in the back of the bus being very studious and doing work," Clark said. "When all of a sudden bam, bam and a scream from our bus driver. We blew a deer to pieces; it blew up. I don't think anyone slept after that."

That experience alone would warrant a retelling from most people, but for these girls that was only the beginning.

"That same night we checked into a hotel and I was staying in room 222," Clark continued. "My name was etched into the ceiling in creepy scary letters."

"I came in and saw it," added Map?(c). "And it clearly said her name the way she spells it."

Although the two claim that road trip as their best story, they have no shortage of other tales and memories to discuss when asked. Their friendship is evident in just their manner of speech. They easily slide back and forth while telling a story without ever skipping a beat. This friendship that was formed due to the University of Buffalo volleyball department has surely paid off for the team.

"These seniors, including Jenna and Brandie, have worked so hard from day one until now," said head coach Jim Lodes. "We are always going after that elusive perfect game."