NORTON, Mass. – Junior
Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) slammed a team-best nine kills and Plymouth State University handed Wheaton College its first loss of the season, 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-22), in non-conference women's volleyball action at Emerson Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
PSU forced the Lyons into 30 unforced errors on the day, setting an early tone with a dynamic offense in set one. Plymouth State hit .370 in the opening set behind ten kills without an error and freshman
Emma Hampton (Durham, N.H.) served eight straight points as the Panthers flipped a late 22-17 deficit into a 25-22 win.
Plymouth State rode the momentum from there as Stogner pounded three kills down the stretch to take set two and the Panthers held off a late rally in the third set to prevent Wheaton from extending the match.
Plymouth State wins its fourth straight to improve to 6-2 on the year, while Wheaton suffers its first setback of the year, falling to 7-1.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, Wheaton 0
- Plymouth State (6-2)
- Wheaton (7-1)
How it Happened:
- Wheaton used a four-point run to go ahead 12-8 in the opening set and the hosts stayed in front as Plymouth State used its second timeout trailing 22-16. PSU took advantage of a missed serve out of the break and Hampton served the next eight points to lift the Panthers to victory, 25-22. Senior Aynslee King (Anacortes, Wash.) had a pair of kills and PSU forced the Lyons into four attack errors during the spurt.
- Set two saw the Panthers take an early lead as senior Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) found the floor for a 6-2 advantage. Wheaton kept it close as the teams traded points through the middle of the set, and the hosts pulled even at 15-15. Junior Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.) had an ace and Stogner followed with a kill during a five-point burst to go ahead, 21-18, and Plymouth State was able to hold the Lyons at arm's length the rest of the way. Stogner had three kills down the stretch for the 25-21 win.
- A Marucci ace and kill from senior Ryley McNeeley (Easton, Mass.) gave Plymouth State a 9-7 lead early in the third set, but Wheaton pulled even with a kill to tie things at 11-11. The Panthers answered right back with a four-point burst to retake the lead and PSU stayed in front from there. The Lyons cut the margin to 22-19, but sophomore Riley McDonough (Gilford, N.H.) ended a lengthy rally with a kill to force Wheaton to use its final timeout. The hosts found renewed energy out of the break, scoring the next three points to pull within 23-22, but a Lyons' error and Ryan kill thwarted the comeback bid as PSU held on for the 25-22 win.
By the Numbers:
- Stogner's nine kills were a season high, with five coming in the second set alone. She added a pair of aces and four digs on the day.
- Ryan posted eight kills with a .333 attack percentage (8-2-18) and had a pair of blocks, while McNeeley and Sanderson combined for nine kills with just one error apiece.
- Marucci finished with a team-high ten digs, as McDonough chipped in 13 assists and nine digs.
- Plymouth State limited the Lyons to an .072 attack percentage through the first two sets.
- PSU moves to 8-4 against Wheaton all time. The Panthers have won seven of the last eight meetings.
Up Next:
- The Panthers return home to host Saint Joseph's of Maine as part of the team's annual Lace Up for Pediatric Cancer game on Tuesday (Sept. 19). First serve is set for 6:00 p.m.
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