GORHAM, Maine – Freshman
Sya McKay (Somersworth, N.H.) pounded eight kills and hit .500 as Plymouth State University continued its dominance over the University of Southern Maine with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-8, 25-16) victory in a Little East Conference (LEC) women's volleyball match at Hill Gymnasium on Wednesday night.
Plymouth State remains unbeaten in the all-time series dating back to the inception of the program in 1996. The Panthers raced out to a 6-0 lead in the opening set, holding off a USM rally to take a 1-0 advantage. PSU was in full control of the second set, holding the hosts to single digits, and used a 9-0 run in the third to secure the sweep.
Plymouth State improves to 15-6 (5-1 LEC), while the Huskies slide to 7-18 (1-4 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, Southern Maine 0
- Plymouth State (15-6, 5-1 LEC)
- Southern Maine (7-18, 1-4 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Sophomore Danielle Emerson (Biddeford, Maine) served PSU to a quick 6-0 lead, sparked by two kills and two blocks from McKay. Southern Maine trimmed the margin to 12-9, but Plymouth State regrouped behind a kill from freshman Alice Borriello Diaz (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) and another McKay block. The Huskies rallied again late, closing to 21-18, but PSU stayed in control as McKay's kill sealed the 25-20 win.
- Borriello Diaz opened the second set with a kill, and Emerson followed with another strong service run that included two more McKay blocks. McKay added back-to-back aces as the lead grew to 12-3, and Plymouth State cruised from there. Emerson registered an ace during a 5-0 run to close out the 25-8 victory.
- The third set was tight early, but sophomore Sydney Riley (Haverhill, Mass.) sparked a 9-0 surge with a kill and block as PSU built a 13-5 lead. Southern Maine trimmed the deficit to 16-13, but McKay answered with another kill, and the Panthers closed on a 9-3 run to finish the sweep, 25-16.
By the Numbers:
- McKay led the way with eight kills (.500), seven blocks, and two aces.
- Graduate student Ella Koelb (Auburn, N.H.) tallied seven kills, seven assists, and seven digs.
- Emerson and Borriello Diaz each served four aces. Emerson also added 10 assists and three kills.
- Senior Veronika Castro Rodriguez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) chipped in six digs, while junior Annalyn Cahill (Mystic, Conn.) added five blocks.
- Plymouth State hit .310 for the match, including a remarkable .462 in the second set, while holding USM to .024.
- PSU improved to 32-0 all-time against the Huskies, with 21 of those wins coming in straight sets.
Up Next:
- PSU heads to Framingham State on Saturday (Oct. 25) for a non-conference tri-match. The Panthers face Gordon at 3 p.m. before taking on the host Rams at 5 p.m.
– 30 –