PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Plymouth State University hit .625 with 10 kills and no errors in the fifth set to top Rhode Island College, 3-2 (19-25, 25-23, 25-19, 22-25, 15-6), in a Little East Conference (LEC) women's volleyball match at The Murray Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Anchorwomen took the opening set, but Plymouth State rebounded with wins in sets two and three. The Panthers nearly erased a seven-point deficit in the fourth set, rallying from 18-11 down to pull within one, 23-22, but the hosts scored the next two points to extend the match.
PSU scored the first five points of the decisive set, but RIC responded with a four-point run to make it 5-4. Senior
Annalyn Cahill (Mystic, Conn.) ended the surge with one of her 15 kills, jump-starting a 10-2 run to seal the win.
Plymouth State improves to 9-3 (1-0 LEC), while the Anchorwomen fall to 6-6 (0-1 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, Rhode Island College 2
- Plymouth State (9-3, 1-0 LEC)
- Rhode Island College (6-6, 0-1 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Sophomore Sya McKay (Somersworth, N.H.) had three quick kills as the Panthers grabbed an early 6-1 lead. RIC rallied in the middle stages of the set, scoring eight straight points to take a 19-14 lead. Back-to-back RIC errors and kills from Cahill and McKay cut the deficit to 20-18, but that was as close as PSU would get as the hosts scored five of the next six points for the 25-19 win.
- Set two was tight throughout, as neither team led by more than three. A RIC error snapped a 22-22 tie, and McKay followed with a kill. The teams traded points before a kill from sophomore Alice Borriello Diaz (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) secured the Panthers' 25-23 victory.
- Plymouth State led by three midway through the third set, but a 6-0 burst sparked by kills from McKay, junior Sydney Riley (Haverhill, Mass.) and freshman Maddie Andrade (Hooksett, N.H.) gave PSU an 18-9 advantage. An Andrade-McKay block capped the run. RIC attempted to rally, cutting the lead to 22-18, but a missed serve halted the comeback attempt, and Borriello Diaz and Riley teamed for a 25-19, set-winning block.
- The Anchorwomen used a 5-1 spurt midway through the fourth set to take an 18-11 lead. Junior Danielle Emerson (Biddeford, Maine) had a pair of kills to spark a rally, and McKay's kill cut the deficit to 21-19. The teams traded points until another Riley kill made it a one-point game, 23-22, and forced a timeout. RIC recovered out of the break, using a kill and an ace to extend the match, 25-22.
- The fifth set was all Panthers, as Emerson quickly served the Plymouth State to a 5-0 lead. The hosts answered with four straight points to pull within one, 5-4, but Cahill's winner sparked a 5-0 surge as PSU took control. The Panthers continued to pour it on, with Riley's kill setting up match point before sophomore Emily Sousa (Farmington, Conn.) sealed the 15-6 win with an ace.
By the Numbers:
- McKay posted a team-high 16 kills (.324) and six blocks.
- Cahill chipped in 15 kills and two blocks, while Riley added 10 kills (.350) and two blocks.
- Emerson registered a career-high 45 assists to go with 12 digs and three aces.
- Borriello Diaz had a strong match, notching eight kills and six digs while hitting .471.
- Senior Christa Imbriano (Wakefield, Mass.) controlled the back line with a personal best 31 digs.
- Plymouth State hit .625 with 10 kills and no errors in the fifth set.
- PSU has won eight straight meetings and leads the all-time series, 29-8.
Up Next:
- The Panthers host Rivier on Wednesday (Sept. 30) at 5 p.m. before welcoming WestConn to Foley Gymnasium for a Homecoming matchup Saturday (Oct. 3) at 9:30 a.m.
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