PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior
Annalyn Cahill (Mystic, Conn.) recorded a team-high 10 kills, but the University of Massachusetts Boston limited itself to just seven attack errors to get past Plymouth State University, 3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-19), in a Little East Conference (LEC) women's volleyball match at Clark Athletic Center Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
Plymouth State (20-7, 6-2 LEC) secures the third seed for next week's LEC Tournament and will host sixth-seeded Keene State in a first-round matchup on Tuesday (Nov. 11) at 5 p.m. UMass Boston improves to 14-12 (6-2 LEC) to claim the second seed and will host the winner of that match in Thursday's (Nov. 13) semifinals.
Freshman
Sya McKay (Somersworth, N.H.) tallied four kills as PSU cut a six-point deficit to 11-9 in the opening set, but UMass Boston responded with an 8-2 run to regain control. The Beacons pulled away in the middle stages of set two, then jumped ahead early in the third and held off a late Panthers rally to close out the match.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 0, UMass Boston 3
- Plymouth State (20-7, 6-2 LEC)
- UMass Boston (14-12, 6-2 LEC)
How it Happened:
- UMass Boston built a 10-4 advantage in the opening set to force a Plymouth State timeout. PSU rallied out of the break behind four McKay kills during a 5-1 run to pull within 11-9, but the Beacons regained control. Cahill notched a pair of late kills and McKay added an ace, though the comeback fell short, 25-17.
- Graduate student Ella Koelb (Auburn, N.H.) pounded a kill and McKay added a block as PSU grabbed an early edge in set two. UMass Boston used a long service run to take a 9-4 lead, but Cahill's kill trimmed the margin to 12-10. The teams traded points until another Beacons surge put the set away, 25-16.
- UMB raced out to a 14-3 lead in the final frame. Freshman Alice Borriello Diaz (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) ripped three straight aces, and kills from Borriello Diaz and freshman Fiona Bailey (Wrentham, Mass.) cut the deficit to 15-9 to force a timeout. PSU continued to battle, as Koelb and McKay combined for three late kills around a Beacons error to make it 23-19, but UMB closed the 25-19 win with consecutive points.
By the Numbers:
- Cahill registered 10 kills (.194) and a block.
- Koelb added seven kills, 10 assists and 11 digs.
- McKay added six kills and two blocks.
- Borriello Diaz posted four aces and six digs.
- Senior Veronika Castro Rodriguez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) and junior Christa Imbriano (Wakefield, Mass.) paced the defense with 15 and 10 digs, respectively.
- The all-time series is now even at 17-17.
Up Next:
- Third-seeded Plymouth State hosts sixth-seeded Keene State in the first round of the LEC Tournament on Tuesday (Nov. 11) at 5 p.m. The winner will advance to face the second-seeded Beacons on Thursday (Nov. 13).
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