BEVERLY, Mass. – The Plymouth State University women's volleyball team had its seven-match winning streak snapped in a setback at regional power Endicott College, 3-0 (25-15, 25-23, 25-17), in a non-conference match at MacDonald Gymnasium on Wednesday night.
The Gulls, owners of a win over No. 11 Trinity (Texas) and riding a long winning streak of their own, got out to a hot start and never looked back in set one. PSU rebounded to build a six-point advantage, 18-12, midway through set two, but the hosts rallied to tie things at 20-20. The score was locked at 21-21 and 22-22, until back-to-back Gulls' points gave the hosts the separation needed as Endicott eked out a 25-23 win. The Gulls snagged a three-point lead early in set three and were able to hold PSU at arm's length the rest of the way to complete the sweep.
Plymouth State slips to 18-2, while Endicott wins its eighth straight match to improve to 14-5.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 0, Endicott 3
- Plymouth State (18-2)
- Endicott (14-5)
How it Happened:
- Endicott ripped off five straight points to open the match. Graduate student Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) momentarily stopped the streak with a kill, but the hosts would answer back to extend the advantage to 13-4. The Panthers dug in, with Ryan's kill and freshman Danielle Emerson (Biddeford, Maine) firing an ace to pull within 16-12, but that was as close as the Panthers would get as Endicott closed the set with a 9-3 surge for the 25-15 win.
- Plymouth State held a slight lead through the early stages of set two. Ryan and Emerson notched back-to-back kills for an 11-8 advantage, leading to an Endicott timeout. Back-to-back Gulls' errors out of the break helped create additional separation and freshman Cami Wessels (Plantsville, Conn.) found the floor to make it 18-12. Endicott began to chip away, ultimately pulling even at 20-20. Ryan's kill gave the Panthers a one-point edge, but the hosts responded with consecutive points to see-saw into the lead. With the score locked at 22-22, the Gulls slammed back-to-back kills to earn set point. Graduate student Aynslee King (Anacortes, Wash.) had a block to pull within one, but an Endicott kill wrapped up the 25-23 win for the Gulls.
- The hosts maintained a narrow lead through the early stages of the third set. Sophomore Emma Hampton (Durham, N.H.) slammed a kill and Ryan's winner kept the Panthers within striking distance, trailing by just three, 13-10. The teams traded points until a 3-0 spurt gave the hosts a 21-15 lead. PSU got as close as five, 22-17, but Endicott ran off the final three points to secure the 25-17 win.
By the Numbers:
- Ryan finished with a team-high nine kills and a pair of blocks.
- Senior Lindsey Sanderson (Gilford, N.H.) and King posted five kills apiece.
- Senior Riley McDonough (Gilford, N.H.) and Emerson teamed up for 25 assists, with each also recording an ace.
- Marucci and senior Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) paced the Panthers' backrow with eight digs each.
- The Gulls hit .284 in the match, the highest for a PSU opponent by nearly .100 points.
- Endicott holds a narrow 14-12 advantage in the series. The Panthers' last win came in a five-set, neutral site battle in 2017.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State returns to Little East Conference (LEC) action on Saturday (Oct. 19), when the Panthers visit VTSU Castleton for an 11:00 a.m. match at Glenbrook Gymnasium.
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