HENNIKER, N.H. – Junior
Sydney Riley (Haverhill, Mass.) and sophomore
Sya McKay (Somersworth, N.H.) slammed ten kills apiece as Plymouth State University held off New England College, 3-1 (25-11, 19-25, 26-24, 25-18), in non-conference women's volleyball action at Bridges Gym on Tuesday evening.
The Panthers coasted to a 25-11 win in the opening set, but NEC amassed 16 kills in set two to pull even with a 25-19 win. The Pilgrims rallied from a 24-20 deficit in set three, but a kill and an NEC error gave Plymouth State a 26-24 win in the pivotal third set. PSU then built a comfortable lead midway through the fourth set to wrap up the match with a 25-18 victory.
Junior
Danielle Emerson (Biddeford, Maine) posted 21 assists, including the 1,000th of her career, while adding eight digs, four kills and four aces in the win.
Plymouth State opens the season 1-0, while the Pilgrims slip to 0-1.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, NEC 1
- Plymouth State (1-0)
- NEC (0-1)
How it Happened:
- NEC scored the first three points of the set and held a narrow 5-4 edge in the early going, but senior Annalyn Cahill (Mystic, Conn.) slammed a kill to spark a 9-2 surge as the Panthers rallied into the lead. A 6-0 burst, aided by a pair of McKay kills, gave PSU a comfortable cushion as the Panthers coasted to the 25-11 win.
- The Pilgrims took an early lead again in set two before McKay's kill knotted the score at 4-4. NEC responded with a 3-0 spurt and stayed in front the rest of the way. Sophomore Fiona Bailey (Wrentham, Mass.) found the floor to pull PSU within 8-7, but the hosts answered with a 5-0 burst. The Panthers were unable to get closer than three points the rest of the way as NEC evened the match with a 25-19 win.
- Emerson ran off three straight aces to give the Panthers a 10-4 lead in the pivotal third set. NEC pulled even at 12-12, but three consecutive kills, including a pair from freshman Maddie Andrade (Hooksett, N.H.), put PSU in front, 17-13, and forced the Pilgrims to call a timeout. PSU maintained the four-point cushion, and Riley gave the Panthers set point at 24-20 with her seventh kill of the night, but NEC rallied to even the set at 24-24. Andrade answered with a big kill, though, and a Pilgrims' miscue gave the Panthers a 26-24 decision.
- Riley and Cahill teamed up for a block as PSU took a 9-5 lead in the fourth set. NEC remained within striking distance until senior Christa Imbriano (Wakefield, Mass.) went on a serving run to push the margin to 17-9. The Panthers cruised from there, as Bailey wrapped up the win with her ninth kill of the match.
By the Numbers:
- McKay finished with ten kills (.421) and five blocks, while Riley added ten kills (.261) and three blocks.
- Bailey's nine kills were one shy of her career high.
- Andrade and Cahill added six kills apiece.
- Emerson paced the offense with 21 assists and four aces, while Imbriano posted a match-best 15 digs.
- Plymouth State hit .257 as a team and limited the Pilgrims to .088.
- PSU improves to 9-0 all-time against NEC, dropping just three total sets in the series.
Up Next:
- The Panthers welcome Fitchburg State to Foley Gymnasium for the home opener on Wednesday (Sept. 2) with first serve set for 5 p.m.
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