Panthers down Lyons in final match for first win

            NORTON, Mass. – Senior Casey Stoodley (Salem, N.H.) and junior Kaitlyn Tedeschi (Pascoag, R.I./Burrillville) each made seven kills Saturday evening as Plymouth State University defeated Wheaton College in the final match of the Wheaton Invitational.  PSU finished the one-day tournament with a 1-2 record, starting the day with setbacks to Western New England University and Emerson College.

            The Panthers opened play with a 3-0 loss to WNE, falling 25-18, 25-18 and 25-13.  PSU dropped its second outing to Emerson College, this time by a 3-1 score (25-16, 25-22, 26-28, 25-20) before salvaging a 3-0 victory in the final event late Saturday evening over host Wheaton, 25-21, 25-18, and 25-19.

            Stoodley led the Panthers in kills in all three matches, finishing with 27 kills on the day.  She posted her first double-double of the season with 12 kills and 11 digs against Emerson.  Stoodley also slammed a team-high six service aces against Wheaton as PSU had 17 aces in the match.

            Sophomore Jana Nieman (Fair Lawn, N.J./Fair Lawn) had a big match against Emerson, recording a double-double with 12 kills and 14 digs.  Senior Elissa Morin (Nashua, N.H./Nashua North) also contributed 14 kills and a team-high five blocks in the three matches, and junior Cassie Pelton (Brookline, N.H./Hollis-Brookline) topped the team with 27 digs.  Freshman Sam Clark (Coventry, R.I./Coventry) finished the day with 10 kills, and  sophomore Hannah Anderson (Exeter, R.I./Exeter West Greenwich) and freshman Kirsten Perrotta (Hudson, N.H./Notre Dame, Mass.) shared the setting duties.

            The Panthers will be back in action with more tournament play next weekend, Sept. 7-8, at the Endicott College Invitational in Beverly, Mass. 

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