WORCESTER, Mass. – Graduate student
Ella Koelb (Auburn, N.H.) posted a pair of triple-doubles, but the Plymouth State University women's volleyball team came up just short in two five-set battles, falling to Lasell University and host WPI in a non-conference tri-match at Harrington Auditorium on Saturday.
Plymouth State rallied from an 0-2 hole to force a fifth set against Lasell, with Koelb's late ace giving PSU a 13-11 lead. The Lasers stormed back with four straight points, though, to claim the 25-16, 25-20, 23-25, 22-25, 15-13 victory.
The Panthers came out firing against WPI, cruising to a 25-12 win in the opener before trading sets with the Engineers. PSU held match point at 14-12 in the fifth behind three straight aces from freshman
Alice Borriello Diaz (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico), but WPI answered with a late surge to escape with the win (12-25, 26-24, 15-25, 25-21, 17-15).
Koelb finished the day with a staggering 33 kills, 42 assists, 28 digs, and four aces.
Plymouth State slips to 2-4, with three of the team's losses coming in five sets. Lasell improves to 5-0 after sweeping WPI in the day's first match, while the Engineers move to 4-2.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 2, Lasell 3
- Plymouth State 2, WPI 3
- Plymouth State (2-4)
- Lasell (5-0)
- WPI (4-2)
How it Happened (Lasell):
- Lasell used a 7-1 run midway through the first to pull away for a 25-16 win.
- The Lasers built a big lead in set two and held off a late PSU push to win, 25-20.
- Down 16-10 in the third, PSU stormed back behind Koelb's serve and closed it out on back-to-back aces from graduate student Ava Duymazlar (Center Harbor, N.H.), 25-23.
- PSU forced a fifth set with a late 3-0 run, including a block and kill from freshman Sya McKay (Somersworth, N.H.), to take the fourth, 25-22.
- Tied 11-11 in the fifth, Koelb's ace gave PSU a 13-11 edge, but Lasell rattled off four straight to steal the match.
By the Numbers (Lasell):
- Koelb was all over the floor, pounding 11 kills to go with 20 assists, 14 digs and three aces.
- McKay also slammed 11 kills, adding three blocks to her tally, while junior Annalyn Cahill (Mystic, Conn.) chipped in 10 kills, two blocks and six digs.
- Duymazlar led the defense with 21 digs while serving up four aces.
- Sophomore Danielle Emerson (Biddeford, Maine) added 16 assists, nine digs and two aces, while Borriello Diaz chipped in 13 digs, three aces and five kills.
- Plymouth State had been 16-0 against the Lasell in the all-time series. This was the first meeting since the 2017 season.
How it Happened (WPI):
- Emerson's serving sparked a 7-0 start as PSU dominated the first set, 25-12.
- The Panthers rallied from a 16-7 deficit in set two to lead 21-20, but WPI edged them late, 26-24.
- Borriello Diaz's serving powered an 11-1 run as PSU rolled through set three, 25-15.
- WPI fended off a late charge to win set four, 25-21.
- Down 12-10 in the fifth, PSU fought back to earn match point at 14-12, but WPI capitalized on a miscue and closed with two blocks for the 17-15 win.
By the Numbers (WPI):
- Koelb smashed 22 kills (.364 attack pct.), with 22 assists and 14 digs.
- Emerson dished 39 assists and added seven digs.
- Duymazlar posted a career-high 33 digs to lead all players.
- McKay hit .321 with 12 kills and just three errors, adding three blocks to her stat line.
- Borriello Diaz had seven of PSU's 13 aces, also chipping in eight kills and 11 digs.
- The Panthers slip to 4-1 against WPI. The teams last met in 2015.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State heads to Norwich on Tuesday (Sept. 9) for a 6:00 p.m. clash with the Cadets.
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