WESTFIELD, Mass. – Senior
Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) smashed a match-best 11 kills and hit over .420 as Plymouth State University cruised past Westfield State University, 3-0, in non-conference women's volleyball action at The Woodward Center on Saturday morning.
Stogner and graduate student
Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) provided more than enough firepower for the Panthers, who overpowered the Westfield State defense for the 25-18, 25-16, 25-9 win. Ryan contributed ten kills and hit better than .560 in the dominant effort, while the PSU defense forced the Owls into more errors (21) than kills (17).
Plymouth State jumps to 22-3, while the Owls go to 13-12.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, Westfield State 0
- Plymouth State (22-3)
- Westfield State (13-12)
How it Happened:
- The Owls held a 9-6 lead in the early going, but graduate student Aynslee King (Anacortes, Wash.) found the floor to spark a 8-0 run for Plymouth State. King added another kill during the spurt, while senior Lindsey Sanderson (Gilford, N.H.) also slammed home two winners in the run. The hosts rallied to pull within three on several occasions, but PSU would stay in front and a Westfield State error handed the Panthers set one, 25-18.
- Stogner pounded a kill to jumpstart set two and senior Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.) followed with a long service run as the Panthers raced out to an 8-0 lead. PSU maintained a healthy lead through the middle stages and another Stogner winner sparked a late 5-0 surge as Plymouth State went up by double digits, 20-10. The teams went back-and-forth from there, with Sanderson closing out the 25-16 win with yet another kill.
- Another long service run, this time from freshman Danielle Emerson (Biddeford, Maine), put set three out of reach early. Emerson served 12 straight points, including four aces, as the Panthers snagged a 14-1 lead and never looked back. Ryan's last kill finalized the 25-9 win.
By the Numbers:
- Stogner finished with 11 kills and hit .421, adding four digs to her stat line.
- Ryan posted ten kills against just one error to hit .563.
- King added six kills (.455 attack pct.) and four blocks, while Marucci led all players with 15 digs.
- Emerson posted 15 assists and six aces, while senior Riley McDonough (Gilford, N.H.) added 15 assists and five digs.
- The Panthers are 12-1 all-time against Westfield State and have won each of the last six matchups.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State hosts Colby-Sawyer in non-conference action on Wednesday (Nov. 6) at 4:00 p.m.
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