PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (25-17, 31-29, 25-22) decision to St. Lawrence University to open up the Cardinal Quad on Friday evening at Memorial Hall.
The difference in the match came with regard to offensive efficiency. St. Lawrence hit .261 for the match on 40 kills and 17 errors in 88 total attempts, while Plattsburgh State hit .082. The Cardinals did hold a 10-9 edge in service aces, but the Saints outgained their opponent in blocks (7-2) and digs (38-26).
Plattsburgh State drops to 6-16 overall with the loss and wraps up the Cardinal Quad tomorrow with matches against the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (12 p.m.) and Gordon College (2:30 p.m.). St. Lawrence rises to 15-7 overall with the win and takes on Gordon (12 p.m.) and WPI (2:30 p.m.) tomorrow.
The Cardinals controlled the momentum early in the first set, building an 8-3 lead following a Saint attacking error. St. Lawrence seized a 17-15 advantage on a 4-0 run and closed the set on a 5-0 spurt to win the first, 25-17.
Plattsburgh State constructed a big lead in the second, with a kill by freshman middle blocker/opposite
Tara McGovern (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem North) handing the Cardinals a 22-15 cushion. St. Lawrence went on a 4-0 tear to pull within three at 22-19 and eventually took a 25-24 advantage on the strength of a four-point run. Plattsburgh State brought up set point with a kill by sophomore middle blocker
Michelle Simmons (Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly) and an attacking error by St. Lawrence, but the two teams sided each other out until the Saints brought up set point at 28-27 with two straight points. St. Lawrence eventually won the set, 31-29, on back-to-back kills by freshman middle hitter/outside hitter Annika Kreppein and freshman outside hitter/right side Natalie Piper.
Despite trailing 7-3 early in the third, the Cardinals went on a 7-0 surge, during which Simmons rattled off three service aces. After junior outside hitter
Megan Hyde (Schenectady, N.Y./Schalmont) made the score 13-10 in favor of Plattsburgh State with a kill, the Saints scored four consecutive points to pull ahead, 14-13. Plattsburgh State took the lead back on a kill by freshman middle blocker/opposite
Ann Beauchamp (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) and a solo block by Simmons, but St. Lawrence scored seven of the next eight points to claim a 21-16 advantage. With match point on the line at 24-18, the Cardinals scored four straight points to draw within two at 24-22, but the Saints ended the match with a kill by Piper.
Simmons, Beauchamp and Hyde each floored seven kills, while freshman setter/opposite
Lauren DeVoe (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) distributed 21 assists. Simmons posted a career-high seven service aces, while sophomore defensive specialist
Maddy Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) defended seven digs.
For St. Lawrence, Piper led the way with 14 kills and a .400 hitting percentage, while senior setter/defensive specialist Ally Good and junior defensive specialist Jenna Britton combined for 29 assists running a 6-2 offense. Defensively, freshman defensive specialist Reagan Collier-Hogan registered 14 digs, while junior middle hitter/right side Mac Barnes posted five total blocks (one solo, four assist).
