PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – After a 10-year absence, the Plattsburgh State volleyball team is back in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Volleyball Championship Tournament. As the No. 4 seed, the Cardinals will be pitted against North Country rival and No. 5 seed SUNY Potsdam in a quarterfinal match at 6 p.m. on Friday at the Hawk Center in New Paltz, N.Y.
Having met twice already in 2013, the Cardinals and Bears have needed to play five sets in each match before a winner was decided. SUNY Potsdam claimed a 3-2 triumph over the Cardinals on September 6, but Plattsburgh State won the SUNYAC match between the two squads by a 3-2 tally on October 12.
The Cardinals, owners of a 15-13 record, are looking to finish above .500 for the first time since the 1998 campaign while the Bears are looking to avenge a 2012 quarterfinal loss to Fredonia State.
Before Plattsburgh State and SUNY Potsdam begin their battle, No. 3 seed Fredonia State will take on No. 6 seed SUNY Cortland at 3 p.m. Waiting in the wings are No. 2 seed Buffalo State and No. 1 seed New Paltz who will play the advancing teams in the semifinals at 3 and 6 p.m. on Saturday. The winners of the semifinal matches will vie for the title of SUNYAC Champion at noon on Sunday.
Tickets to each day of the 2013 SUNYAC Volleyball Championship Tournament are $6 for adults and $3 for children between the ages of 6-12. Youngsters five and under will be admitted free of charge as will all SUNY students, faculty and staff who possess a valid SUNY identification card.
Fans unable to make the trip to New Paltz can follow all the action via live statistical coverage as well as a live video stream courtesy of the New Paltz sports information department. The links to each service are provided below.
Live stats
Live video
SUNYAC Volleyball Championship Tournament Page
No. 4 Plattsburgh State (15-13, 6-3 SUNYAC)
In what will shape up to be her final year of collegiate volleyball, Rosi Cummings has been the unquestioned leader of everything the Cardinals do on the court. The Plattsburgh, N.Y., product is the go-to offensive weapon for the squad, and is second in the 10-team league in kills per set (3.5).
In the Cardinals' home bout against St. Lawrence on Oct. 8, Cummings became the latest Plattsburgh State volleyball player to reach the 1,000-kill plateau. So far, she has racked up 1,155 career terminations and is second among the Plattsburgh State ranks in kills per set (3.15).
In addition to Cummings, sophomore Laura Diehl and junior Maggie Schrantz have been equally important variables of the Plattsburgh State offensive equation.
Schrantz, who hails from Buffalo, N.Y., has amassed 287 kills in 118 sets, which translates to the eighth-best average in the SUNYAC (2.43/set). In her first two seasons combined, Schrantz totaled 326 kills.
Providing a potent mixture of offense and defense, the 6-2 Diehl has benefitted has emerged as one of the rising stars in the league. In her second year out of Manorville, N.Y., Diehl is the fourth-most efficient attacker in the league (.291 attack percentage) and owns the ninth-best kills per set average in the conference (2.41).
On the defensive side of things, Diehl is an imposing presence at the front of the net to say the least. Her blocks per set average of 0.83 is the seventh-highest figure among league competitors.
As a squad, the Cardinals rank fourth in the conference in terms of team hitting percentage (.186) and fourth in kills per set (10.79).
With so many offensive threats, the setting tandem of sophomore Kristen Marchisotto and junior Meghan Clifford have had little trouble locating any number of their teammates. The pair has accounted for 1,017 of the Cardinals' 1,092 set assists in 2013 with Marchisotto leading the way with an assists per set number of 4.67. Clifford, who leads the Cardinals in service aces per set (0.37), has passed out 4.17 assists per set.
Senior libero Amanda Wickers has turned into one of the most dependable defensive anchors in the league, as she boasts a digs per set average of 4.36. That number is the fourth-highest average in the 10-team league.
No. 5 SUNY Potsdam (15-15, 5-4 SUNYAC)
Having the ability to excel in a variety of positions, senior Jenna Blujus facilities much of the offense for the Bears, who have reached the SUNYAC Volleyball Championship Tournament for the second time in as many years.
One of the most dangerous servers in the SUNYAC, Blujus leads the league in service aces per set (0.67) and has seen that efficiency carry over to her offensive game. Her attack percentage of .266 is the fifth-highest in the 10-team league.
The secondary setter for the Bears, Blujus has passed out 3.62 assists per set and completes her well-rounded volleyball resume by digging out 3.64 balls per set – the second-highest mark among the SUNY Potsdam ranks.
Much like the Cardinals, Blujus is complimented by two additional talented attackers. Sara Anderson has floored kills at a clip of 2.71 per set and boasts the best hitting percentage among all league players (.362).
Liza Fields (1.84 kills per set) is the other member of the Potsdam triumvirate who has totaled over 200 kills in 2013.
Thanks to a stout defense put up by the Bears, opponents have averaged just 9.59 kills per set which is the second-lowest number in the league. With 16.66 digs per set, Potsdam is third in the league in that category and is led by Gabby Arana (4.09 digs per set).
