PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Plymouth State University hit .433, its highest mark in over a year, to dispatch Vermont State University Lyndon, 3-0 (25-5, 25-10, 25-7), in non-conference women's volleyball action at Foley Gymnasium on Tuesday evening.
Junior
Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.) served up six aces as PSU kicked off the opening set with 16 consecutive points on the way to a decisive 25-5 win in set one. Freshman
Emma Hampton (Durham, N.H.) and senior
Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) combined for eight kills on ten attempts as the Panthers took set two, 25-10, and freshman
Abigail Bassingthwaite (Wentworth, N.H.) smashed four kills without an error to close out the evening with a 25-7 win.
Plymouth State extends its streak to seven straight games to move to 9-2, while VTSU Lyndon remains winless on the year (0-9).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, VTSU Lyndon 0
- Plymouth State (9-2)
- VTSU Lyndon (0-9)
How it Happened:
- Marucci ripped off six aces during a match-opening 16-point run to put the first set out of reach early. Ryan and juniors Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) and Lindsey Sanderson (Gilford, N.H.) pounded three kills apiece in the win as the team hit .474.
- After the teams traded points to start set two, sophomore Veronika Castro (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) ran off eight in a row, including four aces, to push the margin to 9-1. Plymouth State would remain comfortably in front the rest of the way, with Hampton's kill wrapping up the 25-10 win.
- The Hornets stayed close to open the third set, trailing just 5-3 in the early going. Freshman Christa Imbriano (Wakefield, Mass.) and junior Ava Duymazlar (Plymouth, N.H.) helped extend the margin to 13-5 with strong runs at the service line and senior Aynslee King (Anacortes, Wash.) put the game away with eight straight points late for the 25-7 victory.
By the Numbers:
- Ryan and Hampton shared the lead with six kills apiece, with Ryan posting a .714 attack percentage.
- Bassingthwaite finished with five kills and hit .571, while Sanderson and Stogner each chipped in three kills without an error in just one set of action.
- Sophomores Riley McDonough (Gilford, N.H.) and Kalista Butler (Philipsburg, Pa.) combined for 33 assists.
- Marucci posted six aces and four digs, while Castro added four aces and a pair of digs.
- Plymouth State hit .474 in the opening set and an even .500 in set three (12-1-22). The team's .433 hitting percentage for the match was the highest since hitting .473 in a win at Lyndon last September.
- PSU finished with 22 aces.
- The Panthers' defense has been phenomenal during the seven-match winning streak as opposing offenses have struggled to get into any rhythm. Opponents are hitting just .047 during the run, with only one team (Wheaton) hitting higher than .100.
- PSU improves to 4-0 against the Hornets all time.
Up Next:
- The Panthers are right back in action on Wednesday (Sept. 27) with a home match against the University of New England. First serve is set for 6:00 p.m.
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