PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Matt Lein era of Plattsburgh State women's volleyball debuted with success on day one of the Best Western Plus-Ground Round Cardinal Classic, as the first-year head coach earned his first career win by helping lead the Cardinals to a 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-17) victory over Mount Saint Mary College. Plattsburgh State lost a 3-2 (27-29, 25-21, 26-24, 22-25, 15-10) nailbiter to SUNY Canton to open the day.
 
Plattsburgh State moves to 1-1 overall with the results and wraps up action at the Best Western Plus-Ground Round Cardinal Classic tomorrow when it hosts Utica College (11 a.m.) and The Sage Colleges (1 p.m.). Canton finished the day at 2-0, while Mount Saint Mary dropped to 0-1 with the loss.
 
Canton 3, Plattsburgh State 2 (27-29, 25-21, 26-24, 22-25, 15-10)
 
Canton used a .667 hitting percentage in the fifth set to ultimately emerge with the victory in the first match of the season for both teams.
 
The first set foreshadowed the back-and-forth nature of the match, as the two teams traded points and runs throughout. After Plattsburgh State took a 21-20 lead, Canton went on a three-point tear to take a 23-21 advantage. The Cardinals called timeout and countered with a three-point spurt of their own, prompting a Kangaroo timeout with Plattsburgh State up, 24-23. The two teams sided each other out before the Cardinals took a 28-27 lead as a result of a ball-handling error and punctuated the set win with a service ace by junior outside hitter Megan Hyde (Schenectady, N.Y./Schalmont).
 
Canton surged late in the second set to square the match at one set apiece. The Kangaroos reversed a 20-18 Cardinal advantage by scoring seven of the final eight points of the set, and a kill by sophomore outside hitter Skye Hansen handed Canton a 25-21 victory in the second.
 
The Kangaroos appeared headed to a win in the third set as well up 24-22, but Plattsburgh State tied the score at 24-all following a kill by freshman middle blocker/opposite Ann Beauchamp (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) and a Kangaroo attack error. Canton benefited from two unforced Plattsburgh State errors to close the third set with a 26-24 triumph.
 
Plattsburgh State went on a seven-point run early in the fourth set to claim a 10-6 advantage, but Canton rallied back with five consecutive points to take an 11-10 lead. The two teams then traded points before Plattsburgh State went on a 3-0 scoring spree late in the set, and a service ace by sophomore setter/defensive specialist Allyssa Rock (West Chazy, N.Y./Beekmantown) put the Cardinals out in front, 23-20. While Canton won the next two rallies coming out of a timeout, Plattsburgh State closed the set by scoring points on a Kangaroo attack error and a block assist by freshman setter/opposite Lauren DeVoe (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) and Beauchamp.
 
Canton's offense ended up being too much to handle in the fifth, though the Cardinals hung tough. The Kangaroos led, 8-7, at the switch, and after a kill be DeVoe, Canton took a lead it would never relinquish with three straight points.
 
Plattsburgh State hit .145 for the match, while Canton fashioned a .201 hitting percentage. The Cardinals won the battle at the net defensively with a 6-3 edge in blocks, while Canton finished with a slight 14-12 cushion in service aces.
 
Sophomore middle blocker Michelle Simmons (Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly) led the Cardinal offense with 13 kills and a .367 hitting percentage, while DeVoe posted a double-double in her collegiate debut, tallying 35 assists and 14 digs. Sophomore defensive specialist Maddy Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) wore the libero jersey and defended a match- and career-high 19 digs.
 
Three Canton hitters reached double figures in kills, led by junior middle blocker/right side Marissa Ixtlahuac. Ixtlahuac hit .577 for the match with 18 kills and just three errors in 26 total attempts. Senior setter Peyton Robinson handed out 51 assists, while junior libero Jenna Roat tallied 17 digs.
 
Plattsburgh State 3, Mount Saint Mary 0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-17)
 
Lein earned his first career victory in a match that saw the Cardinals post a .232 hitting percentage and limit their opponent to an .052 mark.
 
Plattsburgh State held the upper hand in all facets of the box score: kills (31-26), service aces (10-5), blocks (7-2), assists (29-26) and digs (43-35).
 
Simmons was nothing short of unstoppable from the front row, registering a .700 hitting percentage on seven kills and no errors in 10 total attempts. Hyde also finished with seven kills, while DeVoe and Rock distributed 15 and eight assists, respectively. DeVoe was tough to handle from the service line as well, posting five aces. Defensively, sophomore defensive specialist Abby Bone (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown) paced the back row with 10 digs, while freshman middle blocker/opposite Tara McGovern (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem North) recorded four total blocks (two solo, two assist) in just one set of action.
 
For Mount Saint Mary, sophomore outside hitter Danielle Kralik floored seven kills, while senior setter Kim Gries doled out 22 assists. Senior defensive specialist Lauren LaGere kept rallies alive for the Knights by notching 11 digs.