PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team opened its season with a split at the Best Western Plus-Ground Round Cardinal Classic on Friday at Memorial Hall, topping SUNY Canton, 3-2 (23-25, 25-12, 17-25, 25-20, 15-11), before falling, 3-1 (18-25, 25-20, 28-26, 25-14), to Plymouth State University.
 
Plattsburgh State moves to 1-1 overall with the results and finishes out the classic tomorrow with matches against Wheaton (Mass.) College (11 a.m.) and The Sage Colleges (3 p.m.). Canton drops to 0-2, while Plymouth State moves to 1-1.
 
Plattsburgh State 3, Canton 2 (23-25, 25-12, 17-25, 25-20, 15-11)
 
After falling behind 2-1 in sets, the Cardinals forced a deciding frame with a 25-20 win in the fourth. Plattsburgh State never trailed in the fifth set, pulling out a win in its first appearance of the season.
 
The Cardinals controlled the momentum during the early stages of the first set until a 4-0 Canton run tied the score at 11-all. The lead changed hands several times down the stretch, and while freshman middle hitter/right side Michelle Simmons (Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly) punctuated a late run with a kill that gave the Cardinals a 23-22 edge, the Kangaroos scored three unanswered to win the first set, 25-23.
 
Plattsburgh State flexed its offense in the second set, hitting .316 during the stanza. The Cardinals hopped out to a 6-1 lead and was never severely threatened the rest of the set, cruising to a 25-12 victory in the frame. Canton returned the favor in the third set, never trailing en route to a 25-17 set victory.
 
In the fourth set, Plattsburgh State scored in bunches to come away with the 25-20 win, scoring three straight points on five different occasions.
 
The Cardinals appeared destined for an easy fifth set, building a commanding 11-3 lead following a kill by freshman setter Alyssa Rock (West Chazy, N.Y./Beekmantown). Canton went on an 8-2 run, however, pulling within two at 13-11. Rock and Simmons combined for a block assist to break the Kangaroo run before senior right side Lexi Pascal (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) ended the match with a kill.
 
Plattsburgh State finished with a .163 hitting percentage (48-24-147) and outgained Canton in service aces (12-5) and blocks (6-5).
 
Sophomore middle hitter/right side Dani Borunda (Salt Lake City, Utah/West) and Simmons tallied 12 and 10 kills, respectively, with Borunda hitting .346 (12-3-26) and Simmons swinging .333 (10-2-24) for the match. In her first collegiate regular-season match, Rock played well, distributing 39 assists. Defensively, sophomore outside hitter/right side Hunter Grotjohn (Scottsdale, Ariz./Horizon) and sophomore libero Bryanne Yasui (Honolulu, Hawaii/Moanalua) picked up 20 and 17 digs, respectively.
 
For Canton, sophomore outside hitter/right side Shea Norton and freshman outside hitter Skye Hansen registered 14 and 11 kills, respectively, while junior setter Peyton Robinson handed out 46 assists. Sophomore libero Jenna Roat defended a match-high 26 digs.
 
Plymouth State 3, Plattsburgh State 1 (18-25, 25-20, 28-26, 25-14)
 
A gut-wrenching third-set loss ultimately hurt the Cardinals' cause in their pursuit of a sweep, as Plymouth State came away with the win in its first match of the year.
 
Plattsburgh State took the first set, 25-18, while Plymouth State answered with a 25-20 set two victory. The momentum of the match swung into the Panthers' favor following a come-from-behind triumph in the third set. After Plymouth State controlled the lead early, the Cardinals scored nine straight points to engineer a 13-7 cushion. During that run, Yasui floored four service aces. The Panthers battled all the way back, though, and took the lead at 25-24 following a Cardinal attacking error. A block assist by Grotjohn and Borunda and a Plymouth State attacking error gave Plattsburgh State set point once again, but the Panthers scored three straight points to emerge with a 28-26 win.
 
Plymouth State rode that momentum into the fourth set, building a 7-1 lead and never trailing on its way to a match-clinching 25-14 win in the frame.
 
The Panthers hit .149 for the match compared to the Cardinals' .042 clip. While Plymouth State held a 76-56 cushion in digs, Plattsburgh State did best Plymouth State in service aces, 10-9.
 
Simmons and Borunda each finished with seven kills, while Yasui contributed with 14 digs and six service aces. Rock doled out 31 assists, while Borunda also shored up the front row defensively with four total blocks (one solo, three assist).
 
For Plymouth State, senior outside hitter Claire Sporer and sophomore outside hitter Alexis Bowers recorded 17 and 13 kills, respectively.