BOSTON, Mass. – Junior
Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) and sophomore
Riley McDonough (Gilford, N.H.) both posted double-doubles and Plymouth State University distributed the ball well as the Panthers extended their winning streak in a 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-20) sweep of the University of Massachusetts Boston in the Little East Conference (LEC) opener for both teams at Clark Athletic Center Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
Stogner continued her hot streak with a match-high 12 kills to go with 14 digs, while McDonough notched 17 assists and 13 digs as Plymouth State won its sixth straight contest.
The Panthers rallied from a 17-12 deficit in the opening set, scoring five of the final seven points to break a 20-20 tie. PSU trailed set two by a 14-12 margin but ripped off a 13-1 run to take a commanding 2-0 lead, then used six straight points midway through the third set to take the lead for good on the way to the sweep.
Plymouth State has won six straight games to improve to 8-2 (1-0 LEC), while the Beacons fall to 7-5 (0-1 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, UMass Boston 0
- Plymouth State (8-2, 1-0 LEC)
- UMass Boston (7-5, 0-1 LEC)
How it Happened:
- The teams traded points in the early going, but the hosts snagged a 4-3 lead and stayed in front most of the way. UMB held a 17-12 advantage until a kill from senior Ryley McNeeley (Easton, Mass.) turned the momentum. Seniors Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) and Aynslee King (Anacortes, Wash.) teamed up to tie the score at 18-18, as Ryan notched a kill and an ace and King pounded back-to-back kills around a Beacons' timeout. Stogner's kill gave the Panthers a 23-21 lead and force a second UMB timeout and the Beacons pulled within one on the ensuing rally, but an attack error and Stogner's third kill of the set closed out the 25-22 win.
- The Beacons nursed a 14-12 advantage midway through set two before Plymouth State seized control. Junior Lindsey Sanderson (Gilford, N.H.) started the run with a kill and sophomore Kalista Butler (Philipsburg, Pa.) served seven straight points. Stogner pounded three kills and teamed up with Ryan for an emphatic block during the spurt. UMB briefly stopped the run with a sideout to pull within five, 20-15, but Stogner answered back with another kill before serving the final four points, including a pair of aces, for the 25-15 victory.
- Seemingly undeterred, UMB jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the third set, but a missed serve broke the momentum and the Panthers roared back as junior Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.) served PSU to the 6-5 lead. The hosts scored four straight to go back ahead, 13-12, but King found the floor and freshman Emma Hampton (Durham, N.H.) used a five-point run as the Panthers took control, 18-13. The Beacons got as close as three points on three separate occasions down the stretch, but each time PSU responded and back-to-back kills from Hampton wrapped up the 25-20 win to complete the sweep.
By the Numbers:
- Stogner led the way with 12 kills, while Hampton added ten kills and hit .269. Sanderson chipped in eight kills in the winning effort.
- The Panthers' middle hitter tandem of Ryan and King were outstanding, combining for 12 kills and just one error as each hit better than .350.
- McDonough and Butler teamed up for 35 assists and three aces, with McDonough posting 13 digs.
- Marucci led the defense with 18 digs, while Stogner (14) and junior Imalay Rodriguez Martinez (Jucos, Puerto Rico), who contributed 11, also reached double digits.
- The PSU defense limited UMass Boston to an .076 attack percentage for the match, including just .013 over the final two sets.
- Plymouth State smashed 19 kills in the opening set and 46 for the match, while the Beacons' offense had 24 for the match.
- The two teams have evenly split 32 head-to-head matchups, though the Panthers have won each of the last three meetings.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State is home for three matches next week, starting with a visit from VTSU Lyndon on Tuesday (Sept. 26). First serve is set for 6:00 p.m.
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