DANBURY, Conn. – Junior
Lindsey Sanderson (Gilford, N.H.) crushed 12 kills and Plymouth State University fought off seven set points in a wild fourth set as the Panthers held off WestConn, 3-1 (25-23, 25-14, 19-25, 31-29), in a key Little East Conference (LEC) women's volleyball match at Stephen Feldman Arena on Saturday.
Sanderson's late kill helped PSU win the opening set, 25-23, before the Panthers scored ten straight points to turn set two into a laugher, 25-14. The hosts used a late run to take the third set, 25-19, and looked poised to push the match into a decisive fifth.
With the score tied at 22-22, the Wolves got back-to-back points for set-point, but Sanderson and junior
Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) crushed consecutive kills to extend the set. Senior
Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) had a huge block and classmate
Aynslee King (Anacortes, Wash.) and freshman
Emma Hampton (Durham, N.H.) added kills to stave off set points as well. With WestConn leading 29-28, Sanderson's 12th kill of the match tied the score and back-to-back errors gave Plymouth State the win.
PSU improves to 13-2 (4-0 LEC) and has won 11 straight matches, while WestConn goes to 11-5 (2-1 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, WestConn 1
- Plymouth State (13-2, 4-0 LEC)
- WestConn (11-5, 2-1 LEC)
How it Happened:
- The opening set stayed tight throughout. A King block and WestConn error gave PSU a 19-17 edge to force a Wolves' timeout and the Panthers would stay in front the rest of the way. Sanderson smashed a pair of late kills for a 24-21 advantage and three points later a missed serve gave Plymouth State a 25-23 win.
- Set two was all Plymouth State. With the Panthers holding a 6-4 edge, senior Ryley McNeeley (Easton, Mass.) found the floor to spark a lengthy scoring run. Ryan pounded back-to-back kills and Butler got into the action as the lead grew to 11-4 and a WestConn timeout. PSU kept the momentum out of the break, though, as Stogner served another six points to make it 17-4 and the set was never in question. Sanderson closed out the 25-14 win with a kill as PSU went up 2-0.
- WestConn led 10-7 early in set three, but the Panthers stayed close and Hampton and Sanderson pounded consecutive kills to tie the score at 17-17. The hosts answered with a 5-1 run, however, and WestConn was able to extend the match with a 25-19 win.
- The Wolves played with the lead early, until Sanderson's kill sparked a 4-0 spurt to put the Panthers up, 10-8. Things stayed tight from there, though. Plymouth State had a 19-17 edge, before WestConn leapfrogged back in front, 21-19, with four straight points. PSU rallied to tie the score at 22-22, but the Wolves notched consecutive points in an attempt to force a fifth set. Sanderson and Stogner slammed kills on set-point to tie the score at 24-24, and Plymouth State battled back from five more set-point chances with Sanderson's kill knotting the game at 29-29, before a pair of WestConn errors ended the lengthy battle, 31-29.
By the Numbers:
- Sanderson led the Panthers with a season-high 12 kills and hit .357, while Ryan slammed ten kills (.360 attack pct.) and added eight blocks.
- Stogner chipped in nine kills, six digs and two aces, with King adding three kills and three blocks.
- Junior Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.) finished with 24 digs, while classmate Imalay Rodriguez Martinez (Juncos, Puerto Rico) chipped in with 11.
- Sophomores Riley McDonough (Gilford, N.H.) and Kalista Butler (Philipsburg, Pa.) combined for 37 assists and 11 digs.
- PSU hit .206 for the match, while limiting WestConn to .089, marking the tenth match the Panthers limited their opponent to an attack percentage of less than .100.
- Plymouth State has won the last four meetings and nine-of-ten against WestConn, though the Wolves hold a 25-20edge in the all-time series.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State heads to Rivier on Tuesday (Oct. 10) for a non-conference tilt with the Raiders. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m.
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