PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior
Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) smashed eight kills and added seven blocks and four aces, while junior
Lindsey Sanderson (Gilford, N.H.) slammed eight kills without an error with four blocks as Plymouth State University exploded past Keene State College, 3-0 (25-6, 25-5, 25-21), in Little East Conference (LEC) women's volleyball action at Foley Gymnasium on Wednesday evening.
The rematch of the 2022 LEC Tournament finals, a five-set thriller, was sealed early in the first set as Plymouth State came out with a vengeance. Already holding an 11-4 lead, the Panthers closed the opening set on a 14-2 run highlighted by five blocks to cruise to a 25-6 win.
Plymouth State didn't back down in set two, hitting .526 for the set without committing an attack error. Junior
Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.) stepped up to the service line with the score knotted at 1-1 and ripped off five aces during a 19-point run as the Panthers put the game well out of reach on the way to a 25-5 victory.
Keene State attempted to rally in the third set, putting together its best offensive set of the match. After shaking a one-point deficit early, PSU maintained the lead the rest of the way, but the Owls made it close late. KSC pulled to within 19-18 and 23-21, but junior
Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) slammed home back-to-back kills to wrap up the sweep.
Plymouth State wins its 14th-straight game to jump to 16-2 (6-0 LEC), while Keene State slides to 8-13 and 2-4 in the LEC.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, Keene State 0
- Plymouth State (16-2, 6-0 LEC)
- Keene State (8-13, 2-4 LEC)
How it Happened:
- The Panthers scored in bunches in the opening set, with Ryan and Stogner setting an early tone offensively. Ryan teamed up with freshman Emma Hampton (Durham, N.H.) for a block to make it 8-3 and KSC needed a timeout two points later. Another Hampton-Ryan block out of the break increased the margin and Ryan went to work at the service line as the advantage grew to 15-4. The Panthers' block kicked into another level from there, with Hampton and senior Aynslee King (Anacortes, Wash.) teaming up for back-to-back blocks before an ace from freshman Riley McDonough (Gilford, N.H.) made it 20-5. After the Owls' used their final timeout, Sanderson and King joined forces for two more blocks and Hampton's kill closed out the 25-6 win.
- Sanderson's kill tied set two at 1-1, and Marucci took over from there. The libero ran off 19-straight points with aggressive serving, including five aces, while the Panthers' net play was outstanding. Ryan and Sanderson teamed up for an impressive block during the spurt, with Stogner and Ryan joining forces for a pair of blocks of their own, pushing the margin to 20-1. PSU coasted from there, with Ryan slamming the set-winner for a 25-5 victory.
- The third set was the most competitive of the three, though Plymouth State remained ahead for the vast majority of the contest. Senior Ryley McNeeley (Easton, Mass.) followed a Ryan ace with a kill for a 9-4 lead early as PSU maintained a five-point edge. Keene State attempted a late rally, cutting the deficit to 19-18, but Ryan's kill and ace gave the Panthers some breathing room. Keene State cut the margin to two points twice from there, but each time PSU responded with a key play to keep the Owls at arm's length and Stogner closed out the sweep with back-to-back kills.
By the Numbers:
- The Panthers' offense was outstanding, hitting .329 for the match and .526 (10-0-19) without an error in set two.
- McDonough and sophomore Kalista Butler (Philipsburg, Pa.) distributed the ball well, with three players registering eight kills apiece. McDonough finished with 16 assists, while Butler added 11.
- Sanderson finished with eight kills on 13 swings (.615) and added four blocks, while Ryan added eight kills, four aces and seven blocks while hitting .412.
- Stogner also finished with eight kills, hitting .368 with just one error, while adding 10 digs and three blocks.
- King and McNeeley add four kills apiece, with King also chipping in five blocks.
- Plymouth State finished with 13 aces, with Marucci (five) and Ryan (four) leading the charge.
- Marucci was all over the floor defensively with a match-best 22 digs.
- PSU's 24 block assists were four shy of the program record.
- Plymouth State limited the KSC offense to a -.059 attack percentage.
- Keene State holds a slight 24-21 edge in the all-time series.
Up Next:
- The Panthers head to Eastern Connecticut State on Saturday (Oct. 21) for a pair of matches. PSU squares off against the host Warriors in an LEC contest at noon, before finishing the day with a non-conference clash with Suffolk at 2:00 p.m.
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