PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior
Lindsey Sanderson (Gilford, N.H.) posted a match-high ten kills and the Plymouth State University women's volleyball team celebrated its senior class in style, holding off Eastern Connecticut State University, 3-0, in a Little East Conference (LEC) women's volleyball match at Foley Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
The Panthers got out to a slow start after working through the emotions of the prematch ceremony. The visiting Warriors snagged an early lead and had set point, 24-23, but PSU rallied with three straight points and senior
Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) secured the 26-24 win with a kill. The Panthers were in control from there, building a six-point edge halfway through set two before completing the 25-18 win, then closing out the sweep with a decisive 25-12 victory in set three.
Prior to the match, Plymouth State honored its senior class for their contributions to the program; Sanderson, Stogner,
Riley McDonough (Gilford, N.H.),
Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.),
Ava Duymazlar (Plymouth, N.H.),
Morgan Drinkwater (Steep Falls, Maine) and
Imalay Rodriguez Martinez (Juncos, Puerto Rico).
Plymouth State jumps to 21-2 (7-0 LEC), while the Warriors move to 11-9 (4-2 LEC). The Panthers have just one conference game remaining, a showdown with UMass Dartmouth in the regular season finale that will likely determine the LEC's regular season champion. The Corsairs (19-5, 6-0 LEC) held off PSU in the finals of last year's LEC Tournament.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, Eastern Connecticut 0
- Plymouth State (21-2, 7-0 LEC)
- Eastern Connecticut (11-9, 4-2 LEC)
How it Happened:
- The Warriors got a quick kill and three aces to build a 5-0 lead. The visitors would stay in front until Drinkwater and graduate student Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) teamed up for a block to even the score at 12-12. Things would stay tight from there, with neither team gaining a lead of more than two points. A service error gave Eastern Connecticut set point, 24-23, but Ryan and Stogner slammed kills during a three-point run as PSU rallied for the 26-24 win.
- PSU would never trail again. The Panthers used another three-point run to take a 9-4 lead in set two and later extended the margin to 15-9 on back-to-back ECSU errors. The visitors would pull to within three, 19-16, but graduate student Aynslee King (Anacortes, Wash.) found the floor to spark a set-winning 6-2 spurt and Sanderson's winner capped the 25-18 victory.
- Plymouth State controlled set three from start to finish. Sanderson sandwiched a pair of kills around an Eastern Connecticut timeout for a 14-6 lead. Ryan's kill pushed the advantage to double digits, 19-9, and PSU would double up the Warriors, 6-3, the rest of the way for the 25-12 win.
By the Numbers:
- Sanderson posted 10 kills against just one error (.474 attack percentage) and added four blocks.
- Ryan added seven kills, eight digs and five blocks, while King slammed five kills without an error while chipping in four blocks.
- Sophomore Emma Hampton (Durham, N.H.) added five kills in her two sets of action.
- McDonough posted 20 assists, two aces and three digs, while Marucci led the backrow with 17 digs.
- Plymouth State was strong in the serve receive game, siding out at a 71% rate for the match, including 11-of-12 in set three.
- Eastern Connecticut holds a slight 23-20 edge in the all-time series, though the Panthers have won each of the last four meetings.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State heads to the University of New England on Wednesday (Oct. 30) for a non-conference matchup with the Nor'easters. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m.
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