WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Freshman Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) and sophomore Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) combined for 34 kills and Plymouth State University rallied from a 2-1 deficit to outlast Eastern Connecticut State University, 3-2 (25-19, 15-25, 18-25, 25-16, 15-9) in a Little East Conference (LEC) women's volleyball match at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium on Saturday.
 
PSU also cruised to a 3-0 (25-13, 27-25, 25-0) win over Wheaton College in non-conference action to improve to 22-1 on the season. With the win over Eastern Connecticut the Panthers secure the first undefeated LEC regular season in school history. Plymouth State had already captured the regular season crown and is the top seed for the upcoming LEC Tournament.
 
After winning the opening set handily the Panthers found themselves trailing as Eastern Connecticut battled back with wins in sets two and three. PSU used a five-point run in the fourth set to grab the lead and never look back to force a deciding set. In set five PSU trailed 3-2, but a Warriors' error and a pair of blocks by junior Emilee Flanagan (Milton, N.H.) and Stogner, plus a Flanagan kill put the Panthers in front, 7-3. The hosts would pull within one at 10-9, but Plymouth State put the match away with a decisive 5-0 spurt to close out the match, including three aces from freshman Lindsey Sanderson (Gilford, N.H.).
 
Plymouth State closes out the regular season with a non-conference tri-match at Smith College next Saturday (Oct. 30), where PSU will also face Babson College.
 
Wheaton spoiled ECSU's Senior Day in the afternoon's final match with a 3-1 win.
 
The Basics:

• Plymouth State 3, Eastern Connecticut St. 2
• Plymouth State 3, Wheaton 0
  • Plymouth State (22-1, 8-0 LEC)
  • Eastern Connecticut St. (14-7, 4-3 LEC)
  • Wheaton (14-9)

How it Happened (Eastern Connecticut St.):

• Trailing by one early, Ryan's kill sparked a 7-2 surge as the Panthers went in front 11-7. PSU held the lead the rest of the way, responding with an 8-3 run to close out the set after ECSU had pulled to within one, 17-16.
• The Warriors roared back to open up an 18-7 lead in set two. Plymouth State tried to rally late, but the hosts evened the match with a 25-15 win.
• PSU held the lead through the middle stages of the third set, but Eastern Connecticut seized control after scoring nine straight points for a 24-16 advantage, before earning the 25-18 win.
• Having rallied from 0-2 deficits on three separate occasions already, Plymouth State responded. Trailing 8-7, the Panthers took advantage of a service error and junior Natalie Gravelle's (Portsmouth, N.H.) kill helped PSU go up 15-9. ECSU raced back to cut the margin to 15-13, but Ryan notched a pair of kills and freshman Imalay Rodriguez Martinez (Juncos, Puerto Rico) had a pair of aces during a long service run before PSU squared the match with a 25-16 victory.
• Flanagan had a solo block and kill before teaming up with Stogner for another block as the Panthers grabbed an early 7-3 lead in the decisive set. The hosts pulled to within one at 10-9, but Ryan answered with a kill and Sanderson recorded three aces as PSU wrapped up a perfect LEC regular season with a 15-9 win.

By the Numbers (Eastern Connecticut St.):

• Stogner finished with 18 kills and hit .341, while Ryan added 16 kills with a .281 attack percentage and four blocks. Flanagan had six kills without an error and added five blocks.
• Senior Alexa Price (Moultonborough, N.H.) totaled 45 assists to go with three kills and six digs.
• Junior Marissa Plaza (Folsom, Calif.) led the team with 14 digs, as Rodriguez Martinez added 12 to go with four aces.
• Two of the last three meetings between the two teams have gone five sets.

 
How it Happened (Wheaton):

• PSU used the momentum from the come-from-behind win to race out to a 13-7 lead in the opening set against Wheaton. Later, after a Lyons' error, freshman Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.) recorded an ace in during a five-point run as the Panthers would coast to a 25-13 win.
• Set two stayed close throughout. Wheaton broke a 17-17 tie with a pair of aces and kill for a 20-17 lead, but PSU knotted the score at 21 on Marucci's ace. The Lyons pulled in front, 23-22, but an attack error and block from Price and Ryan gave PSU set-point. The teams traded points until back-to-back kills by Stogner closed out the 27-25 victory.
• Senior Hannah Chartier (Weare, N.H.) served four straight points as PSU took a 10-3 lead early in set three. Plymouth State stayed in front and the Panthers took a commanding 19-8 lead behind a long run by Marucci. The Lyons rallied to cut the deficit to three, 23-20, but Price and Flanagan recorded kills to close out the sweep.

By the Numbers (Wheaton):

• Stogner (9-2-21) and Ryan (9-1-19) led the team with nine kills, with Flanagan adding eight (8-2-13). Ryan added four blocks and a pair of aces, as Flanagan controlled the net with three blocks. All three hit at least .333.
• Price handled the office to the tune of 32 assists, while Plaza paced the defense with 10 digs. Marucci added eight digs and two aces.
• PSU has won six-of-seven against the Lyons.

 
 Up Next:

• PSU wraps up the regular season with a pair of non-conference matches against regionally ranked teams next Saturday (Oct. 30) at Smith College. The Panthers face Babson College at 2:00 p.m. before squaring off against the host Pioneers at 4:00 p.m.