WENHAM, Mass. – Plymouth State University wrapped up the regular season with a split of a trimatch, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to top Gordon College, 3-2 (26-28, 25-19, 20-25, 25-16, 15-11) after falling to Endicott, 0-3 (17-25, 23-25, 16-25), in non-conference women's volleyball action at the Bennett Center on Saturday.
Plymouth State ripped off 16 aces and combined for 15 team blocks in a thrilling win over Gordon, the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) regular season champions. Sophomore
Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) smashed 15 kills and added four aces, eight digs and four blocks in a complete-game effort, while junior
Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) posted nine kills, five aces and had a part in ten blocks in the win.
Ryan led the Panthers with nine kills and three blocks, as sophomore
Lindsey Sanderson (Gilford, N.H.) contributed seven kills while hitting .429 in the setback to regionally-ranked Endicott. Sophomore
Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.) paced the defense with a match-best 18 digs.
The Panthers end the regular season with a 20-6 mark and now set their sights on next week's Little East Conference (LEC) Tournament. As the top seed, PSU will host the winner of fourth-seeded WestConn and fifth-seeded Eastern Connecticut in the semifinal round on Thursday (Nov. 3).
Gordon, which topped the Gulls in the day's first match to claim the CCC regular season title, moves to 14-13, while Endicott, currently ranked fourth in Region II, ends the day with a 19-8 mark.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 0, Endicott 3
- Plymouth State 3, Gordon 2
- Plymouth State (20-6)
- Endicott (19-8)
- Gordon (14-13)
How it Happened (Endicott):
- Endicott used a 7-1 spurt to claim a 15-9 lead midway through the opening set. Senior Emilee Flanagan (Milton, N.H.) attempted to rally the Panthers with consecutive kills, but the Gulls rebounded. Trailing 23-15, Sanderson found the floor for back-to-back points, but a missed serve and Endicott kill gave the Gulls a 25-17 win in set one.
- Sanderson's kill helped Plymouth State surge to an early 7-4 advantage, and Stogner followed with back-to-back aces as the lead grew to 10-5, forcing a Gulls' timeout. Endicott rallied out of the break, leapfrogging ahead, 15-12. The Gulls maintained a slight edge from there, until sophomore Morgan Drinkwater (Steep Falls, Maine) and Ryan teamed up for a block to help PSU jump in front, 22-20. With the score tied at 23-23, the Gulls got a kill and ace to squeak out the narrow, 25-23, win.
- Stogner's kill gave PSU an early 4-3 lead, but Endicott answered with a 9-1 spurt. Flanagan tried to rally the Panthers with a late kill and junior Ryley McNeeley (Easton, Mass.) and Ryan joined forces for a block at the net, but Endicott was able to hold on for the 25-16 win.
By the Numbers (Endicott):
- Ryan paced the offense with nine kills, hitting .313, while Sanderson posted seven kills against just one error to hit .429.
- Marucci led all players with 18 digs.
- Freshmen Riley McDonough (Gilford, N.H.) and Kalista Butler (Philipsburg, Pa.) teamed up for 27 assists.
- Endicott owns a narrow 13-12 edge in head-to-head meetings. The Panthers' most recent win came in a five-set thriller in October of 2017.
How it Happened (Gordon):
- Senior Natalie Gravelle (Portsmouth, N.H.) had consecutive aces as the Panthers led set one, 13-9, but the Fighting Scots rallied to tie things at 17-17. Gordon went ahead 23-21 late, but PSU rallied out of a timeout behind a Flanagan block and Stogner kill. A Gordon error gave PSU set point, 24-23, but Gordon ripped off consecutive points to lead 25-24. The Fighting Scots missed the ensuing serve and Stogner's ace gave the Panthers a 26-25 advantage, but the hosts rebounded with three straight points to win 28-26.
- Marucci's long service run helped PSU build an 18-7 lead in set two. Gordon attempted to rally, whittling the margin to five, but McNeeley's kill gave the Panthers a 25-19 win.
- Gordon took control of the third set immediately, racing out to an 11-1 advantage. Undeterred, the Panthers chipped away, ultimately pulling even at 20-20 after a Flanagan and Stogner block. The Fighting Scots responded, though, running out the final five points to take a 25-20 victory and 2-1 lead.
- Plymouth State refused to go down quietly, using a 7-1 run to take a 14-7 lead in set four. Moments later Stogner posted back-to-back kills and Ryan ran off a string of three consecutive aces as the Panthers went ahead 21-9. Gordon attempted to scratch back, but three straight points, including McNeeley's set-clinching kill, gave PSU a 25-16 win and forced a decisive fifth set.
- The Panthers stormed out of the gates behind three aces from Gravelle for a quick 6-0 edge. Gordon cut the deficit in half but would get no closer than that. Sanderson and Ryan teamed up for a block to make it 13-8, and Stogner's final kill closed out the match, 15-11.
By the Numbers (Gordon):
- McDonough finished with 24 assists and six digs, with Butler adding 20 assists and seven digs.
- Stogner banged home 15 kills to go with four aces, eight digs and four blocks, while Ryan had nine kills, five aces and ten blocks.
- Gravelle also ran off five aces while chipping in seven kills.
- Marucci led the defense with 12 digs.
- Plymouth State goes to 7-1 all-time against the Fighting Scots. The two teams hadn't squared off since the 2008 season.
Up Next:
- As the top seed for next week's Little East Conference Tournament, Plymouth State earns a first round bye and will host the winner of No. 4 WestConn and No. 5 Eastern Connecticut in the semifinal round on Thursday (Nov. 3) at 6:00 p.m.
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