WALTHAM, Mass. – Graduate student
Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) posted nine kills and hit .348, but Plymouth State University had its 11-match winning streak snapped by Brandeis University, 3-0 (19-25, 23-25, 16-25), in a non-conference women's volleyball match at Red Auerbach Arena on Wednesday evening.
Easily facing its toughest competition of the season, PSU struggled to get on track. The Panthers held a slight 17-16 advantage in the opening set, but Brandeis used a 9-2 surge to take the opener. Plymouth State led by as many as seven early in set two (11-4), but the Judges chipped away and a long service run saw the home team leap ahead, 21-18. The Panthers attempted a late rally, but the hosts were able to hold on for the 25-23 win, before completing the sweep after leading the third set from wire-to-wire.
Plymouth State drops its first match of the year to dip to 11-1, while the Judges improve to 9-5.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 0, Brandeis 3
- Plymouth State (11-1)
- Brandeis (9-5)
How it Happened:
- Brandeis maintained a narrow lead through the first half of the set, extending the advantage to five, 12-7, to force a PSU timeout. The Panthers rallied and an ace by senior Makayla Marucci (Newton, Mass.) sliced the margin to one, 13-12. PSU continued to hang tight, ultimately pulling in front at 17-16, but the hosts scored the next four points to take the lead for good, closing out the 25-19 win with a kill.
- The Panthers got out to a good start in set two, as Ryan served five straight points for an 11-4 lead. PSU remained in front, 18-12, on a kill from senior Morgan Drinkwater (Steep Falls, Maine), but the Judges rallied with nine straight points to jump ahead, 21-18. Ryan's kill snapped the spurt, but the hosts would remain in front. PSU fought off four set points to pull within one, 24-23, before an error gave Brandeis the 25-23 win.
- The hosts turned a 6-4 lead into a 15-5 advantage following a long service run midway through set three. Ryan and sophomore Emma Hampton (Durham, N.H.) combined for four straight kills to cut the deficit to seven, 17-10, but Brandeis would recover following a timeout to secure the win with a 25-16 victory.
By the Numbers:
- Ryan led the Panthers with nine kills and hit .348. She added an ace, a dig and a block.
- Graduate student Aynslee King (Anacortes, Wash.) had three kills without an error in her two sets of action, adding a team-high three blocks.
- Freshman Danielle Emerson (Biddeford, Maine) led the team with 13 assists and chipped in seven digs, as Marucci recorded 11 digs.
- Brandeis limited the Panthers to a season low .069 attack percentage.
- The Judges have won all nine meetings between the two teams. The last meeting came in the 2007 ECAC New England Tournament.
Up Next:
- The Panthers open Little East Conference (LEC) play by hosting UMass Boston on Saturday (Sept. 28). First serve is set for 12:00 p.m.
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