BOSTON, Mass. – Junior Emilee Flanagan (Milton, N.H.) and sophomore Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) each dropped ten kills and Plymouth State University remained unbeaten on the year, rolling to a 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-23) win over the University of Massachusetts Boston in Little East Conference (LEC) women's volleyball action at Clark Athletic Center on Saturday afternoon.
 
Freshman Lindsey Sanderson (Gilford, N.H.) also came up big for the Panthers' offense, recording eight kills against just one error and Plymouth State totaled 13 aces to top the Beacons for the first time since the 2012 season.
 
The Panthers extend their season-opening win streak to 11 straight matches and drop UMass Boston to 0-2 in the LEC for the first time since 2007. The Beacons had won each of the last 10 meetings between the two teams, including the most recent matchup in the finals of the 2019 LEC Tournament.
 
PSU improves to 11-0 (2-0 LEC), while the Beacons drop to 5-7 and 0-2 in league play.
 
The Basics:

• Plymouth State 3, UMass Boston 0
  • Plymouth State (11-0, 2-0 LEC)
  • UMass Boston (5-7, 0-2 LEC)

How it Happened:

• The opening set went back and forth but UMass Boston held a 17-14 lead as the Panthers took a timeout. Flanagan and freshman Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) found the floor and, following a Beacons' point, Sanderson added a kill to bring PSU to within one, 18-17. Junior Marissa Plaza (Folsom, Calif.) followed with four straight aces to take the lead as PSU closed the set with ten straight points for a 25-18 win.
• Senior Alexa Price (Moultonborough, N.H.) served an ace to give Plymouth State a 13-8 lead in the second set and Flanagan's block pushed the advantage to 16-10. The hosts attempted to chip away, but PSU kept control and Flanagan's kill gave the Panthers a 25-21 win.
• Sanderson and Ryan teamed up for a block to give PSU its first lead of the third set at 15-14 and the Panthers would lead the rest of the way. Ryan scored on a slide for a 20-18 lead and the teams traded points the rest of the way as Plymouth State held on for a 25-23 win.

By the Numbers:

• Ryan finished with 10 kills and a .421 attack percentage, while Flanagan hit .294 for her 10 winners. Sanderson added eight kills and a block.
• Price finished with 34 assists and three aces.
• The defensive-minded trio of Plaza and freshmen Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.) and Imalay Rodriguez Martinez (Juncos, Puerto Rico) combined for ten aces, led by Plaza's five.
• Plaza paced the defense with 20 digs, with Price adding 14 and Rodriguez Martinez also finishing in double digits (10).
• PSU smashed 18 kills in the final set while limiting the Beacons to a .105 attack percentage for the match.
• The Panthers' 11-match win streak ties the 2002 team for the third-longest streak to start a season.

 
Up Next:

• Plymouth State hosts rival Keene State in a key LEC matchup on Wednesday (Sept. 29) at 6:00 p.m.