PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Graduate student
Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) pounded 16 kills as Plymouth State University soared past Colby-Sawyer College, 3-0, in non-conference women's volleyball action at Foley Gymnasium on Wednesday evening.
The PSU offense was outstanding, hitting a remarkable .640 in the opening set as the Panthers roared to a 25-11 win. Plymouth State held a 15-11 lead in set two when freshman
Danielle Emerson (Biddeford, Maine) served seven straight points on the way to a 25-12 win. The Panthers led set three throughout, as Emerson again went on a long service run to give the hosts a 9-0 lead. Colby-Sawyer chipped away, ultimately pulling to within two at 23-21, but the Panthers regrouped, and a pair of Ryan kills secured the 25-23 victory.
Plymouth State jumps to 23-3, while the Chargers slip to 19-10.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, Colby-Sawyer 0
- Plymouth State (23-3)
- Colby-Sawyer (19-10)
How it Happened:
- It was Ryan who ran off a string of points in the opening set, recording a pair of aces as graduate student Ryley McNeeley (Easton, Mass.) notched two kills to help the hosts race out to a 10-2 advantage. Freshman Cami Wessels (Plantsville, Conn.) caught fire in the front row, as her back-to-back kills made it 18-10 and McNeeley would cap the victory with her sixth kill of the set for the 25-11 win.
- Set two stayed tight in the early stages. Emerson's ace gave PSU an early 4-2 edge, but the Panthers were unable to gain any separation. Plymouth State led by just one, 11-10, but senior Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) and freshman Sydney Riley (Haverhill, Mass.) teamed up for a block to help PSU gain some momentum. Ryan's kill pushed the advantage to 15-11 and Emerson followed with a long service run to extend the margin to double digits, 22-11. The Chargers got the ball back momentarily, but Ryan slammed her sixth and seventh kills of the set before teaming up with McNeeley for the set-winning block, 25-12.
- Emerson ran off three aces as the Panthers scored the first nine points of set three. The visitors were able to pull within four, 13-9, midway through the set, but PSU would keep the Chargers at arm's length. A rare Plymouth State error trimmed the lead to 23-21 as the Panthers took a timeout to regroup. Colby-Sawyer found a seam on the ensuring serve to pull within one, but Ryan notched kills on two of the next three points to secure the sweep with a 25-23 victory.
By the Numbers:
- Ryan finished with 16 kills against just one error (.652 attack pct.) and added three aces, two blocks and five digs. She had seven kills in the second set and another six in set three.
- McNeeley posted nine kills (.438 attack pct.), while Wessels hit .545 on six kills in 11 swings.
- Emerson ran the offense spectacularly with a match-high 26 assists to go with her six aces.
- Stogner led the backrow with nine digs in just two sets of action.
- The Panthers hit .344 for the match, while limiting Colby-Sawyer to .103.
- Plymouth State is 23-12 in the all-time series against the Chargers.
Up Next:
- The Panthers head to UMass Dartmouth on Saturday (Nov. 9) for a noon clash with the Corsairs that will determine the Little East Conference (LEC) regular season champion and top seed for next week's LEC Tournament. UMass Dartmouth beat the Panthers in last year's regular season finale and again in the championship match of the LEC Tournament, with both meetings going the full five sets.
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