BRISTOL, R.I. – Junior
Sydney Riley (Haverhill, Mass.) pounded 13 kills and hit .524 while sophomore
Fiona Bailey (Wrentham, Mass.) added eight kills without an error, but Plymouth State University was edged by Roger Williams University in a five-set match, 25-15, 21-25, 22-25, 25-11, 14-16, to open the RWU Invitational at the Campus Rec Center Gymnasium on Friday night.
Plymouth State built an early lead in the opener before coasting to a 25-15 win, but the Hawks rallied from a four-point deficit late in set two to even the match. The Panthers made a late run but were unable to complete the comeback in set three, then controlled the fourth set from start to finish to force a decisive fifth set.
The hosts jumped out to a three-point lead, but timely kills by Bailey and Riley kept the Panthers close and an RWU error tied the score at 14-14. Roger Williams took a timeout, then came out of the break with a kill and block to secure the narrow win.
Plymouth State moves to 2-1, while the Hawks stay unbeaten at 3-0.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 2, Roger Williams 3
- Plymouth State (2-1)
- Roger Williams (3-0)
How it Happened:
- Sophomore Sya McKay (Somersworth, N.H.) and senior Annalyn Cahill (Mystic, Conn.) notched back-to-back kills and the Panthers led from start to finish in the opening set. A kill from junior Addison Soleau (Niantic, Conn.) extended the lead to 17-11 and PSU continued to gain separation on the way to a 25-15 victory.
- Plymouth State built an early six-point lead, but the Hawks slowly chipped away. PSU still led by four, 18-14, on McKay's ace, but a late push by the hosts saw the score deadlocked at 19-19, 20-20 and 21-21. RWU got back-to-back kills to force a timeout before recording the final two points for a 25-21 win.
- The Hawks jumped out to a quick six-point edge in set three, but Plymouth State rallied. Bailey's kill cut the deficit to 18-16, but Roger Williams answered with a 5-2 spurt to make it 23-18. The Panthers were able to cut the margin to 24-22, but the hosts would secure the final point for a 25-22 win.
- A string of Roger Williams errors helped PSU gain an early edge in set four, before sophomore Alice Borriello Diaz (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) used a long service run to extend the lead to 12-5. The Panthers rolled from there, forcing a decisive fifth set with a lopsided 25-11 win.
- The hosts raced out to a 3-0 lead in the fifth, but Plymouth State stayed close. McKay's kill tied the set at 8-8, but the Hawks got consecutive points and did not trail again. A Roger Williams error tied the score at 14-apiece, but the Hawks got a kill and block to close out the 16-14 win.
By the Numbers:
- Riley posted 13 kills against just two errors (.524), while Cahill also reached double digits with 10 kills.
- Bailey had eight kills without an error in 15 attempts (.533) and added two blocks.
- McKay added nine kills and three blocks.
- Junior Danielle Emerson (Biddeford, Maine) dished out 26 assists and added two aces and seven digs.
- Senior Christa Imbriano (Wakefield, Mass.) contributed 13 digs, while sophomore Alexa Marucci (Newton, Mass.) added eight.
- Plymouth State leads the head-to-head series, 10-4. This was the first meeting between the teams since 2013.
Up Next:
- PSU closes out the tournament with matches against Amherst College and Neumann University on Saturday (Sept. 5).
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