PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Freshman Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) picked up 18 kills on the day as Plymouth State University swept a Homecoming Weekend tri-match against Rhode Island College and the University of Maine Presque Isle at Foley Gymnasium on Saturday.
 
Stogner's 10 kills were tied for a match high as the Panthers dispatched RIC in a Little East Conference (LEC) match, 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-21) to open the day, before adding another eight winners in a 3-0 (25-10, 25-17, 25-5) victory over the Owls.
 
Prior to the first match volleyball alumnae Becky (Landry) Campo '04 and Kelly Landry '06 were inducted into the LEC Hall of Fame in a ceremony at center court. The dynamic sisters helped lead Plymouth State to some of its most impressive seasons in the early-2000s. PSU also celebrated 25 Years of Panthers' Volleyball before the second match, with three of the program's four head coaches in attendance.
 
Plymouth State's season-opening win streak now sits at 14 matches (14-0, 4-0 LEC). The only two longer stretches in school history came in 2009 (16-0) and the program's inaugural season in 1996 when the team won its first 20 contests.
 
RIC held off UMPI in the day's middle match to improve to 6-7 (1-3 LEC), while the Owls fall to 2-8.
 
The Basics:

• Plymouth State 3, Rhode Island College 0
• Plymouth State 3, UMaine Presque Isle 0
  • Plymouth State (14-0, 4-0 LEC)
  • Rhode Island College (6-7, 1-3 LEC)
  • UMaine Presque Isle (2-8)

How it Happened (Rhode Island College):

• Freshman Lindsey Sanderson (Gilford, N.H.) smashed a kill to a five-point run as the Panthers took an early lead in set one. Sanderson added another winner, wrapped around a pair of kills from Stogner, as the advantage grew to 15-8 and freshman Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.) served four straight points for a 20-9 lead. PSU wrapped up the win with three kills around a RIC error to earn a 25-13 decision.
• Plymouth State got out to a slow start in set two, calling a timeout to reorganize with the score knotted at 9-9. Sanderson smashed three kills and Stogner added a pair as the hosts regained control for a 19-14 lead and sophomore Nora Ryan's (Groton, Conn.) thundering kill forced RIC into a timeout. PSU came out of the break with another kill and block and the Panthers wrapped up a 25-17 win.
• Set three looked like it would be an easy win as junior Marissa Plaza (Folsom, Calif.) served three aces during an 8-0 run to start the set, but RIC battled back to pull within three at 12-9. Plymouth State recovered as senior Hannah Douglas (Rochester, N.H.) and freshman Imalay Rodriguez Martinez (Juncos, Puerto Rico) each had lengthy service runs and the Anchorwomen's late run was too late as the Panthers completed the sweep with a 25-21 victory.

By the Numbers (Rhode Island College):

• Stogner added five digs to her 10 kills, while Sanderson finished with seven kills on 14 attempts for a .500 attack percentage.
• Plaza had four aces and a team-high 17 digs, while Rodriguez Martinez added three aces and seven digs.
• Senior Alexa Price (Moultonborough, N.H.) picked up a double-double with 34 assists and 11 digs.
• PSU finished with 41 kills while limiting the Anchorwomen to 22.

 
How it Happened (UMPI):

• Things went back-and-forth to open the match until Ryan's booming kill and back-to-back aces gave the Panthers a 10-6 lead. Sophomore Ryley McNeeley (South Easton, Mass.) had a kill and block and Marucci served nine straight points before sophomore Elsa MacNeill (Acton, Mass.) wrapped up the 25-10 win with a kill.
• Senior Katie Townsend (Layton, Utah) helped serve the Panthers to a 9-5 lead and Stogner and junior Emilee Flanagan (Milton, N.H.) provided the offense as the lead reached double digits. The Owls made a slight run, but Flanagan's kill helped PSU maintain a safe lead and Rodriguez Martinez's ace secured a 25-17 victory.
• Plymouth State wasted little time seizing complete control of the final set. Junior Natalie Gravelle (Portsmouth, N.H.) pounded a trio of kills and Sanderson added a pair as the Panthers exploded to a 15-2 lead. Sanderson served six straight points, including a pair of aces, and a visitor's error closed out the 25-5 win.

By the Numbers (UMPI):

• Flanagan led the Panthers with nine kills and a .571 attack percentage in just two sets, while Stogner added eight kills and Gravelle finished with six without an error.
• Price posted an impressive 36 assists while 10 different players recorded an ace.
• Plaza led the defense with a 19-dig effort.
• PSU smashed 19 kills in the second set alone and limited the Owls to a .000 hitting percentage.

 
Up Next:

• The Panthers kick off a string of four-straight games away from Foley Gymnasium when they visit Rivier University on Tuesday (Oct. 5) for a 7:00 p.m. game.