VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Plymouth State University women's volleyball team rebounded in a big way, knocking off Randolph College (Va.) and Marymount University (Va.) on day two of the Virginia Wesleyan Tournament at TowneBank Arena on Saturday.
PSU earned its first win of the season with a four-set victory over Randolph (26-24, 16-25, 25-23, 25-19), then outlasted Marymount in a five-set battle (25-15, 18-25, 25-23, 24-26, 15-10) to improve to 2-2 on the year.
Junior
Annalyn Cahill (Mystic, Conn.) was a force against Randolph, tallying a career-high 11 kills to pace the offense, while graduate student
Ella Koelb (Auburn, N.H.) posted nine kills, 24 assists, five aces and 10 digs.
Koelb and freshman
Sya McKay (Somersworth, N.H.) each hammered 11 kills in the win over Marymount. The teams split the first two sets before PSU rallied from a 20-13 deficit to steal set three, 25-23. Marymount responded with a narrow win in set four to force a deciding set, but the Panthers pulled away late thanks to three aces from senior
Veronika Castro Rodriguez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico).
Plymouth State improves to 2-2, while Randolph drops to 0-2 and Marymount moves to 1-2.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, Randolph 1
- Plymouth State 3, Marymount 2
- Plymouth State (2-2)
- Randolph (0-2)
- Marymount (1-2)
How it Happened (Randolph):
- PSU erased an early five-point deficit to tie the opening set at 11-11. The teams traded points the rest of the way, with 10 ties and four lead changes. Trailing 23-20, freshman Alice Borriello Diaz (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) sparked a comeback with a kill. McKay's kill and ace saved two set points before a Koelb kill and Randolph error sealed the 26-24 win.
- Randolph raced to an 8-1 lead in set two and never looked back, evening the match with a 25-16 victory.
- The pivotal third set was tight until a kill from sophomore Sydney Riley (Haverhill, Mass.) broke an 18-18 tie. PSU stayed in front from there, with Koelb making it 22-19 to force a Randolph timeout. The Wildcats cut the deficit to 24-23, but freshman Fiona Bailey (Wrentham, Mass.) closed the set with a kill.
- In the fourth, PSU used a late rally to seal the match. Trailing 17-14, Koelb's kill ignited a five-point run and the Panthers never trailed again. Cahill's final kill set up match point and graduate student Ava Duymazlar (Center Harbor, N.H.) finished things off with an ace.
By the Numbers (Randolph):
- Cahill finished with a career-high 11 kills and added four digs and a block.
- Koelb posted a match-best 24 assists to go with nine kills, five aces, ten digs and three blocks.
- Borriello Diaz led all players with 20 digs and added eight kills, while Riley also chipped in eight kills in the win.
- Castro Rodriguez also reached double-digits with ten digs.
How it Happened (Marymount):
- Sophomore Danielle Emerson (Biddeford, Maine) served PSU to a quick 5-0 lead in set one and the Panthers never looked back. Bailey's kill stretched the lead to 23-14, then Cahill and McKay combined for a set-ending block to seal the 25-15 win.
- The Saints took control early in set two and held off a late PSU push for a 25-18 win.
- Marymount seemed poised to grab the third set with a 20-13 lead, but Riley's two kills sparked a furious 12-3 run. Cahlil tied the set at 22-22, Duymazlar added an ace, and Cahill's kill closed out a 25-23 win.
- The fourth set was the most competitive of the day, featuring 15 ties and eight lead changes. With the score even at 24-24, Marymount used a block and a PSU error to force a deciding set.
- The fifth was tight until the switch, with Marymount nursing an 8-7 lead. Riley tied it with a kill before Castro Rodriguez served the Panthers to a 12-8 advantage. The Saints tried to rally, but Cahill answered to secure the 15-10 victory.
By the Numbers (Marymount):
- Koelb posted 11 kills and 18 assists, while McKay added 11 kills, seven blocks and five digs.
- Cahill added nine kills and two blocks.
- Emerson added a double-double with 20 assists and 14 digs.
- Castro Rodriguez led the Panthers with 22 digs and four aces, while Duymazlar added 18 digs and four aces.
Up Next:
- The Panthers head to WPI next Saturday (Sept. 6) for a tri-match with Lasell and the host Engineers. First serve is slated for 1:00 p.m.
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