PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Graduate student
Ella Koelb (Auburn, N.H.) posted a match-high 12 kills and hit .440 as Plymouth State University coasted past Colby-Sawyer College, 3-0 (25-16, 25-11, 25-22) in non-conference women's volleyball action at Foley Gymnasium on Wednesday afternoon.
Koelb served PSU to a 10-0 lead in set one on the way to a comfortable win, then staked the Panthers to a 7-0 advantage in set two. Senior
Veronika Castro Rodriguez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) extended the margin to double digits with a strong service run as Plymouth State secured a quick two-set lead.
The Chargers built a 12-6 lead in set three, but PSU rallied to pull even at 13-13. Freshman
Sya McKay (Somersworth, N.H.) recorded a kill and a block during a three-point spurt to give the Panthers a 20-17 lead. The teams traded points the rest of the way, with sophomore
Danielle Emerson (Biddeford, Maine) closing out the sweep with a cross-court kill.
Plymouth State improves to 20-6, reaching the 20-win threshold for the sixth straight season, while the Chargers fall to 11-13.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, Colby-Sawyer 0
- Plymouth State (20-6)
- Colby-Sawyer (11-13)
How it Happened:
- Koelb recorded a pair of aces as PSU raced out to a 10-0 lead in set one. McKay notched back-to-back blocks and Koelb's kill extended the margin to 16-5. Colby-Sawyer mounted a late comeback bid, but sophomore Sydney Riley (Haverhill, Mass.) sealed the 25-16 win with a kill.
- Koelb opened set two with another long service run, tallying two aces as a slew of Chargers' errors gave PSU a 7-0 lead. Colby-Sawyer pulled to within four, but Castro Rodriguez pushed the lead to double digits, 15-4, with another seven-point surge. McKay slammed two kills during the spurt, and Plymouth State remained comfortably in front the rest of the way. Koelb added two more aces, while junior Annalyn Cahill (Mystic, Conn.) contributed two kills in a set-closing 4-0 run to cap the 25-11 victory.
- Colby-Sawyer erased an early three-point deficit to build a 12-6 lead in set three. Koelb and McKay combined for three kills to spark a PSU rally, and a Chargers error tied things at 13-13. McKay added another kill and block to put the Panthers ahead, 20-17, before Emerson's cut shot secured the sweep with a 25-22 win.
By the Numbers:
- Koelb led all players with 12 kills (.440) and added 13 assists, six aces, five digs, and three blocks.
- Cahill chipped in eight kills (.350), while McKay added six kills (.357) and four blocks.
- Emerson posted 11 assists, four digs, and three kills.
- Castro Rodriguez and graduate student Ava Duymazlar (Center Harbor, N.H.) tied for a match-high nine digs.
- Plymouth State hit .250 for the match while limiting the Chargers to .030.
- PSU leads the all-time series, 24-12, and has won the last eight meetings. The last six have all been three-set sweeps.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State closes out the regular season on Saturday (Nov. 8) at UMass Boston. A win over the Beacons would secure the Little East Conference (LEC) regular season title and top seed for next week's LEC Tournament.
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