Bowers posts double-double in setback 

            QUINCY, Mass. – Senior Lex Bowers (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) matched a career high with 16 kills and added 11 digs for her third double-double of the season, but Eastern Nazarene College rallied from an 0-2 deficit to top Plymouth State University, 3-2 (21-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-22, 15-10), in non-conference women's volleyball action at Lahue PE Center on Wednesday night.

            PSU looked to be in control after taking the first two sets, pounding down double-digit kills while limiting errors on the offensive side, but the Lions rallied. ENC pulled out a pair of close wins in sets three and four, then built an early lead and cruised to a win in the deciding fifth set to stop PSU's season-opening winning streak at nine games.

            Plymouth State suffers its first setback of the year, dropping to 9-1, while the Lions even their record at 3-3.

            The Basics:

            Plymouth State 2, Eastern Nazarene 3

            Plymouth State (9-1)

            Eastern Nazarene (3-3)

            How it Happened:

• Plymouth State jumped out to an early lead and held a five point advantage through much of the early going, before ENC used a four-point run to pull within 11-10.
• The hosts led 19-17, before PSU rallied with an 8-2 spurt to close out the opening set, 25-21.
• The Panthers built a 14-8 advantage in set two, but again the Lions fought back, cutting the deficit to 20-19. Bowers notched a kill, then served out the final four points to give Plymouth State a 2-0 lead.
• Eastern Nazarene took the early lead in the third set, grabbing a 10-4 advantage. PSU pulled to within 13-11, but five straight errors pushed the hosts' lead to 18-11 and the Lions held on for a 25-20 win.
• The fourth set was tight throughout, with neither team building more than a three-point advantage. PSU trailed 22-19, but a Lions' error and back-to-back kills by senior Allie Rogers (Sandown, N.H.) tied the set at 22-22 and forced an ENC timeout.
• ENC rallied to pull ahead on a kill, and a pair of miscues helped the Lions even the match with a 25-22 win.
• Eastern Nazarene jumped out to an 8-2 advantage in the decisive set. Plymouth State cut the deficit to four, 8-4, but that was as close as it would get as the hosts held on for the win.

            Inside the Numbers:

• Bowers' 16 kills led the Panthers, while junior Francie Shaffer (Frederick, Colo.) and Rogers finished with 13 and 10, respectively.
• Sophomore Alexa Price (Moultonborough, N.H.) tallied 41 assists and added five kills and seven digs.
• Junior Carabeth Norklun (Goffstown, N.H.) picked up six blocks in the losing effort, while senior Alisha Flanagan (Milton, N.H.) led the defense with 23 digs.
• The Panthers hit .222 and .407 in the first two sets, but the Lions' defense limited PSU to .083, .049 and .111 in the final three.
• The nine-match win streak was the fourth longest to start a season in program history.

            Straight From the Coach's Mouth:

            "Eastern Nazarene got momentum in the third set and carried it to the end," said head coach Joan Forge. "Lots of lessons learned from our first loss."

            Up Next:

• The Panthers are back home at Foley Gymnasium for a pair of matches on Saturday (Sept. 14). PSU hosts Mount Holyoke at noon and Norwich at 4:00 p.m.

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