WESTON, Mass. – Senior
Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) smashed 10 kills and hit a sparkling .562 as Plymouth State University overpowered Regis College, 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-16), in non-conference women's volleyball action at Higgins Court on Thursday night.
Ryan was the lone player to record double-digit kills, while adding three blocks and an ace to her tally as the Panthers' offense was on fire to set an early tone. Plymouth State hit .308 as a team in the opening set and put up a .360 mark in the third. The team hit a season-high .260 for the match, while limiting Regis to just an .093 attack percentage.
Plymouth State improves to 3-2, while the Pride slip to 2-3.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, Regis 0
- Plymouth State (3-2)
- Regis (2-3)
How it Happened:
- The opening set was the most competitive, with six ties and three lead changes, though the PSU offense was firing on all cylinders. Junior Imalay Rodriguez Martinez (Juncos, Puerto Rico) served four straight points to snap a 7-7 tie and the Panthers would remain in front the rest of the way. After a Regis side out, junior Lindsey Sanderson (Gilford, N.H.) notched back-to-back kills as Plymouth State attempted to pull away. The hosts cut the margin to two on two separate occasions, but the fourth kill of the set from junior Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) gave PSU some breathing room as the Panthers went on to a 25-19 win.
- Regis got out to a strong set in the middle set as the hosts scored the first five points. Plymouth State stayed close, cutting the deficit to 13-11 following a Regis service error. Freshman Emma Hampton (Durham, N.H.) took over from there, serving up four aces during a set-changing 10-point run. Senior Aynslee King (Anacortes, Wash.) notched a pair of kills during the spurt as PSU never looked back on the way to a 25-15 victory.
- Eyeing the sweep, the Panthers controlled the third set from start to finish. Junior Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.) served the first four points, with Ryan, Sanderson and Stogner each finding the floor. The lead surged to 11-3, but Regis put together a rally to pull within 14-12. Stogner took over from there, recording a pair of kills to help grow the advantage to 19-14, then serving the Panthers to match point, before Ryan's kill wrapped up the 25-16 win.
By the Numbers:
- The Panthers pounded down 14 kills against just two errors in the opening set and added 13 kills and four errors in set three.
- Plymouth State hit a season high .260 for the match (36-11-96).
- PSU's strong service game provided to be a critical factor. The Panthers served up seven aces in the second set alone, and 11 for the match, while Regis posted just four aces over the three sets.
- Ryan finished with 10 kills and a .562 attack percentage (10-1-16), while chipping in three blocks and three digs.
- Stogner added eight kills, three aces and five digs, while posting a perfect serve receive percentage on 14 attempts.
- Sanderson added six kills, with King and senior Ryley McNeeley (Easton, Mass.) contributing five kills apiece.
- Marucci paced the defense with a match-best 11 digs, while Rodriguez Martinez added nine.
- PSU moves to 11-0 all-time against the Pride.
Up Next:
- The Panthers finally open the home slate on Saturday (Sept. 9) when NCAA Division II St. Michael's College comes to Foley Gymnasium for a 4:00 p.m. match.
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