PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Graduate student
Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) finished with 24 kills to lead Plymouth State University to a pair of victories on Saturday, holding off Wheaton College, 3-1 (23-25, 25-8, 25-23, 26-24), and Maine Maritime Academy, 3-1 (21-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-16), in non-conference women's volleyball action at Foley Gymnasium.
Wheaton pulled out a narrow win in the opening set, but Plymouth State roared back in set two, forcing the Lyons to a -.357 attack percentage for a lopsided win. The Panthers held off a late Wheaton run to secure the third set, 25-23, then rallied from a 24-21 deficit to close out the match, 26-24.
PSU followed a similar script in the team's second match of the day, dropping a close first set before turning things around. Sophomore
Emma Hampton (Durham, N.H.) had three aces during a six-point run as PSU took a ten-point lead in set two, ultimately winning 25-17. Set three remained tight with six ties and three lead changes, but PSU pulled away in the middle stages of the match and the Panthers led wire-to-wire in set four, running out to an 18-7 lead before securing the match, 25-16.
Plymouth State jumps to 8-0 on the year. Wheaton, which outlasted Maine Maritime (3-2) in the middle match of the day, goes to 3-6, while the Mariners also finish the day with a 3-6 record.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, Wheaton 1
- Plymouth State 3, Maine Maritime 1
- Plymouth State (8-0)
- Wheaton (3-6)
- Maine Maritime (3-6)
How it Happened (Wheaton):
- Wheaton came out strong, hitting .433 in the opening set as the teams battled back-and-forth. The Lyons led by as many as seven, 19-12, but Ryan's kill helped spark a late rally. Trailing 24-20, Ryan notched back-to-back kills and a Wheaton error made it 24-23, but the Lyons would survive on a kill to take the set, 25-23.
- Plymouth State dominated the second set, forcing the Lyons into a slew of attacking errors thanks to solid net play. Freshman Danielle Emerson (Biddeford, Maine) used a long service run, highlighted by a pair of big blocks, to run the score up to 15-1, and the Panthers would easily coast to a 25-8 win.
- Wheaton maintained a narrow lead through the early stages of the third set, but Plymouth State, aided by three straight attack errors, pulled ahead 14-11. The Panthers stayed in front the rest of the way, with a block by senior Lilli Stogner (Weare, N.H.) giving the hosts a 24-19 lead. Wheaton did not go down quietly, though, scratching back to within one, 24-23, before a missed serve giftwrapped PSU the two-point victory, 25-23.
- Trailing by a 13-12 margin, Stogner and Hampton notched back-to-back kills before a pair of Stogner aces helped the Panthers take control, 17-13. Wheaton would fight back, using a 9-1 surge to snag a 24-21 lead. Ryan's emphatic kill energized the crowd and Hampton's ace evened the score at 24-all, before Stogner and Ryan combined for a block. Stogner wrapped up the comeback with her fourth kill of the set for a 26-24 win.
By the Numbers (Wheaton):
- Ryan finished with 14 kills (.423 attack pct.) and added seven blocks.
- Stogner chipped in a double-double with ten kills and ten digs to go with two aces and three blocks, while Hampton added eight kills, seven digs and four blocks.
- Emerson and senior Riley McDonough (Gilford, N.H.) combined for 29 assists.
- Senior Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.) finished with 14 digs.
- The Panthers lead the all-time series (9-4) and have won eight of the last nine.
How it Happened (Maine Maritime):
- The Mariners got out to an early lead, though PSU remained within striking distance. Down 18-13, the Panthers attempted to rally, getting as close as two points on three separate occasions, but Maine Maritime was able to stave off the comeback for a 25-21 win.
- Stogner had back-to-back aces and Marucci followed with two aces of her own as the Panthers took a 14-8 advantage in the second set. Ryan and Stogner found the floor on consecutive points and Hampton fired off three aces as the lead ballooned to 21-11, as the Panthers coasted to even the match behind a 25-17 win.
- The all-important third set stayed tight in the early going, but the Panthers were able to gain separation as the offense came alive. Freshman Cami Wessels (Plantsville, Conn.) provided a spark at the net, while Hampton and Sanderson came up with big kills for a 16-10 lead. PSU was able to fend off a late charge by Maine Maritime, taking the third set 25-21 on a set-winning kill by junior Abigail Bassingthwaite (Plymouth, N.H.).
- Plymouth State led the fourth set throughout as Marucci got the team out to a quick lead. McDonough used a long service run, with three aces and key contributions from Wessels and Bassingthwaite, to push the advantage to 18-6, but the Mariners weren't ready to quit. Maine Maritime used a 9-1 spurt to pull within 19-15, but Bassingthwaite quieted the comeback with a big kill and Marucci served the Panthers up to set point, before a Mariners' error ended the match, 25-16.
By the Numbers (Maine Maritime):
- Ryan posted a team-high ten kills (.421 attack pct.) and added three blocks.
- Hampton added nine kills and hit .381 to go with five service aces, while Bassingthwaite added seven kills and two blocks in her three sets of action.
- McDonough posted 16 assists and four aces, while Emerson added 14 assists.
- PSU finished with a season-high 20 aces.
- Marucci posted 14 digs.
- This was the first ever meeting between the two programs.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State visits Saint Joseph's College of Maine on Tuesday (Sept. 17) for a 6:00 p.m. contest.
– 30 –
