Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 POTSDAM, N.Y. – After dropping one regular season and one exhibition match in its first two games of the 2014 Victory Promotions Invitational on Friday night, the Plattsburgh State volleyball team once again found itself on the receiving end of two tough-luck losses on Saturday. 

The Cardinals fell 3-2 to SUNYIT before dropping a 3-2 decision to host institution SUNY Potsdam later in the afternoon. Plattsburgh State sees its record slip to 2-3 in 2014. 

MATCH ONE: SUNYIT 3, Plattsburgh State 2 (18-25, 25-18, 20-25, 25-21, 15-5)
Plattsburgh State head coach Jake Bluhm found himself facing off against his former team in the Cardinals' third game of the Victory Promotions Invitational, and the Wildcats were able to pull out a five-set triumph over their former bench boss.

The first set of the match saw the Cardinals assume control thanks to a .220 attack percentage, but a number of untimely errors in the second game allowed SUNYIT to come back and knot the match at one set each.

After hitting -.219 in the second set, Plattsburgh State regained its footing on offense and took a 2-1 lead by smashing down 12 kills on 39 swings in the middle frame. However, the Wildcats came back once again and edged Plattsburgh State in the fourth before string together a 15-5 run to take set five and the match.

Both Emily Miller and Maggie Schrantz amassed 11 terminations for the Cardinals, but the pair couldn't offset the especially potent SUNYIT offensive duo of Shelby Kostal and Emma Larson who hammered down 20 and 15 kills respectively.

Jackie Mariotti was one of three Plattsburgh State players who finished with double-digits in the dig department, recording a team-best 17. Miranda Sheffer (12) and Jordynne Ales (10) rounded out the main dig producers for the Cardinals. Ales was equally dangerous from the service line, conjuring up four of the Cardinals' five aces.

 Meghan Clifford passed out 35 assists on the Cardinals' 41 kills and was credited with a pair of block assists, too. Noelle Miller chipped in eight kills, two solo blocks and a block assist for the Cardinals who hit .075 for the match.

The Wildcats received a match-high in digs from Erika Reakes (33) and assists from Rebecca Sheely (43) to move to 2-3 on the season.

MATCH TWO: SUNY Potsdam 3, Plattsburgh State 2 (15-25, 25-23, 20-25, 25-17, 16-14)
In an attempt to bounce back from their first five-set loss of the day, the Cardinals faced off against SUNY Potsdam in a rematch of the 2013 SUNYAC Volleyball Tournament quarterfinals. Unfortunately, the Bears earned their revenge by pulling out a 3-2 win.

Once again, the Cardinals opened up a 2-1 lead to put SUNY Potsdam on the ropes, but the Bears employed a dramatic comeback to force five-set volleyball before earning a 16-14 win in the deciding frame.

Schrantz was the primary offensive option for the Cardinals as the Buffalo, N.Y., product finished with a team-best 14 kills. The senior successfully completed her double-double bid by collecting 14 digs. Sheffer entered double-digit territory in the terminations department for the first time as a collegian, blasting 10 on 28 swings to go along with nine digs. For the second time in as many matches, Mariotti produced the most digs of any Cardinal by amassing 26. Clifford passed out 42 of the Cardinals' 48 assists while Emily Miller added seven terminations and both of the Cardinals' solo blocks.

Friday night will mark the home debut of the Cardinals as they take on Sage in the opening game of the 2014 Best Western-Ground Round Cardinal Classic. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in Memorial Hall.

The Cardinals will wrap up the weekend with Saturday showdowns against Elms College (11 a.m.) and Bridgewater State (1:30 p.m.).