VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Senior
Aynslee King (Anacortes, Wash.) and freshman
Emma Hampton (Durham, N.H.) both notched double-digit kills, but the Plymouth State University women's volleyball team closed out the Virginia Wesleyan Invitational at TowneBank Arena with a pair of setbacks on Saturday.
King pounded down a career-high 12 kills against just two errors, while Hampton broke out with 10 kills and seven digs in a lengthy battle with Bridgewater College (Va.), but the Eagles held out for a 3-1 (32-30, 25-12, 15-25, 27-25) win in the opener.
PSU squared off with the tournament host Marlins in the afternoon match but was swept by Virginia Wesleyan with set scores of 25-12, 25-19, 26-24.
Plymouth State ends the weekend at 2-2.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 1, Bridgewater (Va.) 3
- Plymouth State 0, Virginia Wesleyan 3
- Plymouth State (2-2)
- Bridgewater (3-1)
- Virginia Wesleyan (4-0)
How it Happened (Bridgewater):
- Junior Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) slammed down a kill to spark a 4-0 run as PSU took a 10-7 lead in the first set. Stogner and Hampton notched back-to-back kills as the Panthers extended the advantage to four points (18-14), but the Eagles cut the margin to 23-22. Junior Lindsey Sanderson (Gilford, N.H.) and senior Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) teamed up for a block to give PSU set point, but Bridgewater answered with back-to-back points to tie the score. The Eagles fought off seven set-point chances before sneaking out a 32-30 win in the opener.
- The second set was all Bridgewater as the Eagles jumped out to a double-digit lead. King's kill ignited a rally as the deficit was trimmed to 16-7, but the Eagles regained control to take set two by a 25-12 margin.
- Plymouth State picked up momentum in set three as Hampton and Ryan teamed up for a block and Ryan ripped back-to-back aces. King's kill and another Ryan winner from the service line gave PSU a 9-3 lead. The Eagles pulled to within 14-11, but PSU answered with a 7-1 run to take control on the way to a 25-15 victory.
- The fourth set was another back-and-forth affair. Hampton's kill erased an early deficit as the Panthers went up 7-5, but Bridgewater returned the favor to go ahead, 14-12. King and Hampton combined for three kills during a five-point burst as PSU went up 22-18, but the Eagles again fought off three set points before three straight kills denied the Panthers' bid to extend to a fifth set, 27-25.
By the Numbers (Bridgewater):
- King slammed 12 kills and hit .323 for the match, adding four blocks to her stat line.
- Hampton reached double digits in kills for the first time, finishing with 10 kills and a .296 attack percentage, while chipping in three blocks, seven digs and an ace.
- Junior Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.) led the defense with 19 digs, while sophomores Riley McDonough (Gilford, N.H.) and Kalista Butler (Philipsburg, Pa.) each posted 16 assists.
- Plymouth State finished with 10 aces as a team for reach double digits for the third straight match.
How it Happened (Virginia Wesleyan):
- Plymouth State was unable to slow the Marlins' early momentum as the hosts raced out to an early lead. Senior Ryley McNeeley (Easton, Mass.) and Hampton notched kills to make it 15-8, but Virginia Wesleyan followed with six straight points before closing out the 25-12 win.
- The Marlins held a narrow lead through the early stages of set two, but a Stogner-Ryan block helped the Panthers pull within a point at 14-13. Virginia Wesleyan responded with a 7-1 spurt, though, before settling for a 25-19 win.
- Consecutive kills from Ryan and a Stogner ace gave the Panthers a 6-4 lead early in the third set, and Butler's run at the service line extended the margin to 16-11. Once again, Virigina Wesleyan stormed back to pull within 20-19. Sanderson's kill gave the Panthers a chance to extend the match at 24-23, but the Marlins closed out the win with three straight points for a 26-24 victory.
By the Numbers (Virginia Wesleyan):
- Sanderson led the Panthers with six kills without an error, while Ryan added five.
- McDonough posted 13 assists and six digs, while Marucci had a team-best 16 digs to go with five assists.
- Freshman Abigale Bassingthwaite (Plymouth, N.H.) added four kills and three blocks in just two sets of action.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State heads to Regis College on Thursday (Sept. 7) before opening up the home schedule next Saturday (Sept. 9) against St. Michael's College.
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