PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior
Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) pounded 13 kills and hit better than .500 as Plymouth State University overwhelmed the University of New England, 3-1 (25-8, 25-20, 19-25, 25-16) in non-conference volleyball action at Foley Gymnasium on Wednesday night.
Ryan and junior
Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) teamed up for a thunderous block on the opening point of set one to set the tone early. Stogner pounded back-to-back kills as PSU raced out to a 7-1 lead and never looked back to win the first set handily.
The Nor'easters regrouped and kept things close in the early stages of set two, but an ace and another big block sparked an eight-point run to give PSU control and the hosts would maintain the lead the rest of the way.
UNE battled back in the third set, building some momentum behind three straight blocks for a 20-14 advantage. Plymouth State trimmed the deficit to three but was unable to complete the comeback.
Ryan took over in the fourth set, smashing five kills without an error as Plymouth State cruised to a double-digit lead. Facing match-point, the Nor'easters ran off five straight points to make the final score appear closer than it was, before senior
Ryley McNeeley (Easton, Mass.) slammed home the winner.
Plymouth State improves to 10-2, while UNE falls to 5-4.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, UNE 1
- Plymouth State (10-2)
- UNE (5-4)
How it Happened:
- The opening set was never in doubt as Ryan and Stogner teamed up for a huge block to end the opening rally and the Panthers raced out to a 7-1 lead. The PSU offense cruised through the set, pounding 12 kills with just one error for a .550 hitting percentage, while limiting UNE to more errors than kills. Stogner had five kills as PSU took the opening set 25-8.
- UNE regrouped during the break and Stogner's kill tied the second set at 11-11, sparking a set-changing run for the Panthers. Sophomore Kalista Butler (Philipsburg, Pa.) followed with a pair of aces during a seven-point serving run for an 18-11 lead. The visitors pulled to within two, 18-16, but Ryan's kill after a timeout stopped the momentum and Plymouth State took a commanding lead with a 25-20 win.
- The Panthers' offense got out of sync in the third set as the Nor'easters pressed to extend the match. Freshman Emma Hampton (Durham, N.H.) had a big kill to cut the PSU deficit to 12-10, but UNE would remain in front. The Nor'easters block came up big on three straight rallies to extend the margin to 20-14 and Plymouth State was unable to rally as UNE forced a fourth set with a 25-19 win.
- UNE scored the first point of the fourth set when a tape serve dribbled over the net, but junior Lindsey Sanderson (Gilford, N.H.) pounded a kill on the next ball and classmate Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.) followed with a long service run to create momentum. Plymouth State pushed the lead to double digits as Ryan's 12th kill of the night made it 20-9. PSU led 24-11, before a late UNE run made the final 25-16 score look closer than it was.
By the Numbers:
- Ryan finished with 13 kills and hit .545 (13-1-22), despite not registering a single kill in the first set. She added nine blocks and five digs to her stat line.
- Hampton finished with 10 kills and five digs, while Stogner posted eight kills, 12 digs, five blocks and three aces.
- Marucci led all players with 15 digs and chipped in three aces, while Butler finished with 22 assists and four aces.
- Sophomore Riley McDonough (Gilford, N.H.) added 16 assists in the winning effort.
- Plymouth State hit .223 for the match, while holding UNE to -.009. It was the eighth time the Panthers held an opponent to an attack percentage of lower than .100, and the third time in the last six matches the opposition posted a negative hitting percentage.
- PSU finished with a season-high 11 blocks.
- Plymouth State is a perfect 11-0 against the Nor'easters.
Up Next:
- PSU wraps up the week with a Little East Conference (LEC) Homecoming clash against Rhode Island College on Saturday (Sept. 30). First serve is set for 4:00 p.m.
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