(Box Score) 

            KEENE, N.H. - Senor Eliza Badeau (Foster, R.I.) matched a career high with 27 kills Tuesday evening as Plymouth State University defeated Keene State College, 3-1, in a key Little East Conference women's volleyball match at Spaulding Gymnasium.

            The Panthers took the first two sets, 25-22 and 25-17, before Keene State came back to take the third set, 25-19. PSU clinched the match with a 25-15 verdict in the fourth set.  The Panthers remain undefeated in the LEC this season (5-0), improving to 18-1 overall, while Keene State, two-time defending LEC regular season champion and 2008 LEC tournament champion, fell to 9-12 overall and 2-3 in conference matches.

            Badeau (right), who reached 20 kills for the  third time this season and 11th time in her career, posted a .545 attack percentage for the evening with 27 kills and just three errors in 44 attempts.  She matched her career high in kills set against Gordon College at the Brandeis Tournament on Oct. 28, 2006.  Badeau is currently ranked second in the country in Division III in hitting percentage (.541) and 12th in kills per set (4.35).

            The first set saw eight lead changes and a tie at 19 and 20 on service aces from KSC senior Abby Rosen (Hebron, Conn.) The Panthers fought back on kills from Badeau and senior setter Brianna Kleckner (Terryville, Conn.) for the 25-22 win and a 1-0 lead.

            The Panthers led by as many as nine in set two as they cruised to a 25-17 win led by Badeau's five kills and Kleckner's 11 assists.

            The third set saw the Owls jump out to a 17-10 lead en route to the 25-19 win. Badeau had 11 of the team's 16 kills in the set, but Keene State hit .406 as a team and was paced by five kills from Bridget O'Bryant (Merrimack, N.H.) to cut the Panther lead to 2-1.

            Plymouth State would prove to be too much as they would lead by 10 on two separate occasions in the fourth set and topped the night off with a kill from Carly Newton (Centerville, Mass.) for the 25-15 win.

            Kleckner finished the night with 43 assists and sophomore libero Alex Avery (Milton, N.H.) finished the night with a match-high 16 digs.

            O'Bryant led the Owls with 16 kills, followed by Ellyse Davis (Londonderry, N.H.) with a14 kill night. Senior setter Jordan Pokryfki (Wasilla, Alaska) finished with 46 assists and 10 digs, while Rosen had a team-high 15 digs.

            Plymouth State is back on the court this Friday and Saturday at the Tom Hay Invitational at Springfield College.  The Owls return to action Saturday when they travel to Brandeis to face Coast Guard and Brandeis. 

 (Courtesy of Keene State Sports Information) 

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