SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team fell twice on the final day of the Union Tournament on Saturday at Union College's Viniar Athletic Center, dropping a 3-0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-17) decision to Skidmore College before being edged by Wells College, 3-2 (18-25, 25-21, 25-21, 23-25, 15-11).
 
As a result of her success throughout the weekend, sophomore middle blocker Michelle Simmons (Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly) was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Plattsburgh State falls to 3-9 overall with the losses and opens up State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action on Friday, Sept. 21, when it takes on three-time defending conference champion The College at Brockport during pool-play competition at SUNY Cortland at 5 p.m. Skidmore and Wells rise to 8-3 overall and 5-7 overall, respectively, with the wins.
 
Skidmore 3, Plattsburgh State 0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-17)
 
While Plattsburgh State had a strong offensive showing against Skidmore, which included a .458 hitting percentage in the third set, the Thoroughbred offense and servers ultimately helped Skidmore come away with a straight-set win.
 
The Cardinals hit .226 for the match, while the Thoroughbreds hit at a .299 clip. Skidmore also held the upper hand in service aces (14-2) and blocks (5-1), but Plattsburgh State outgained its opponent in digs (47-34).
 
Junior outside hitter Brianna Coon (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Plattsburgh) matched her career-high in kills with 11, while Simmons hit .615 for the match on nine kills and one error in 13 total attempts. Freshman setter/opposite Lauren DeVoe (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) kept the offense moving with 23 assists and nearly completed the double-double with nine digs. Defensively, sophomore defensive specialist Maddy Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) reinforced the back row with 17 digs.
 
For Skidmore, senior outside hitter Caite Canfield floored 10 kills, while junior setter/hitter Lauren Wolters handed out 17 assists. Junior outside hitter Sophia Hettler finished the match with 13 digs and four service aces.
 
Wells 3, Plattsburgh State 2 (18-25, 25-21, 25-21, 23-25, 15-11)
 
Despite forcing a deciding set against Wells, Plattsburgh State came up just short in the fifth, falling, 15-11, in the frame.
 
Plattsburgh State jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fifth, and a block assist by Simmons and Coon forced a Wells timeout. The Express scored each of the next three points before the Cardinals responded with a three-point tear. While Wells went on yet another three-point surge, another block assist by Simmons and Coon gave Plattsburgh State an 8-6 advantage at the switch. The Cardinals continued to stave off the Express up until freshman middle blocker/opposite Tara McGovern (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem North) and freshman middle blocker/opposite Ann Beauchamp (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) combined for a block assist to put Plattsburgh State up, 11-10. Wells then answered with a 5-0 run to close the match.
 
Both teams battled in the first set until the Cardinals won three straight points, and a service ace by freshman defensive specialist Elora Sherman (Huntington Station, N.Y./Harborfields) staked Plattsburgh State to a 21-17 lead. Wells sided out the Cardinals on the next rally following a timeout, but Plattsburgh State registered four straight points to close out the set.
 
After the Cardinals took a 19-18 lead in the second on a kill and a block by Simmons, Wells surged ahead, 21-19, on a 3-0 scoring spree. DeVoe floored a kill and Coon landed a service ace to knot the tally at 21-all, but the Express won four straight points coming out of a timeout after that to claim the second, 25-21.
 
The two teams traded runs early in the third, and following a kill by junior outside hitter Megan Hyde (Schenectady, N.Y./Schalmont) that staked the Cardinals to an 18-17 advantage, the Express won four of the next five rallies to take a 21-19 lead. A service error and an attacking error by Wells squared the tally at 21-all, but the Express once again closed a set on a 4-0 tear to win, 25-21.
 
Wells looked destined to win the fourth set after taking a 20-17 lead, but a timely timeout by Plattsburgh State stopped the momentum. With Beauchamp at the service line, she accounted for three aces in a 5-0 Cardinal run, which gave Plattsburgh State a 22-20 edge. Each team sided each other out until Coon punctuated the set with a kill to hand the Cardinals a 25-23 victory in the fourth.
 
The Cardinals hit .169 for the match compared to the Express' .149 hitting percentage, but Wells held the upper hand in service aces (14-9) and blocks (9-8). Both teams tallied 85 digs.
 
Simmons led the Cardinal offense with a .414 hitting percentage on 13 kills and one error in 29 total attempts, while Hyde added 10 kills. DeVoe nearly had a triple-double with 23 assists, nine kills and nine digs, and Beauchamp led Plattsburgh State at the service line with three aces. Defensively, Simmons posted six total blocks (two solo, four assist), while Zophy defended a career-high 30 digs.
 
For Wells, junior outside hitter Jackie Allen and sophomore right side Rachel Anderson recorded 17 and 15 kills, respectively, while junior setter Jordan Stoops distributed 31 assists. Allen and freshman setter Lorissa Parks led the Express with four aces each, and defensively, they were paced by sophomore middle hitter Maritza Scharoun (seven total blocks – one solo, six assist) and sophomore defensive specialist Nanako Otsuka (19 digs).