PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-16) decision to Oswego State in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action Friday evening at Memorial Hall.
 
Junior middle blocker Michelle Simmons (Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly) posted three block assists for the match, pushing her season total to 77 to move her into second place on the program's single-season block assist list. Already the program's career record holder in block assists at 186 and counting, she also took over third on the program's all-time total blocks list (252) with her Friday night total.
 
Oswego hit .196 for the match and held the upper hand in service aces (10-2), blocks (7-5) and digs (52-44). The Cardinals wound up hitting .022 for the contest, which included an eight-kill first set.
 
Plattsburgh State slips to 7-12 overall (0-4 SUNYAC) with the loss and next hosts SUNY Cortland tomorrow at 1 p.m. Oswego rises to 15-6 overall (2-2 SUNYAC) with the win and visits SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 1 p.m.
 
While Simmons floored a kill for the first point of the match, Oswego scored six unanswered points to claim a 6-1 advantage. The Lakers kept the Cardinals at a distance until a service error, a block assist by sophomore middle blocker Ann Beauchamp (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) and junior setter/defensive specialist Allyssa Rock (West Chazy, N.Y./Beekmantown) and a kill by senior outside hitter Megan Hyde (Schenectady, N.Y./Schalmont) trimmed the gap to 12-8. Plattsburgh State was only able to score consecutive points on one more occasion during the set, and Oswego took the first, 25-16.
 
Plattsburgh State took an early 3-2 lead following a Laker service error, but Oswego broke the set open with a 13-point surge. The Cardinals scored four unanswered points on a kill by sophomore middle blocker Tara McGovern (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem North), an Oswego attack error, a service ace by junior outside hitter Rachel Mennonna (Selden, N.Y./Newfield) and a Laker ball-handling error to whittle the deficit to 16-8, and while Plattsburgh State traded runs with Oswego down the stretch in the frame, the Lakers wound up winning the second, 25-16.
 
After a block assist by Simmons and Rock to start the third, the Lakers scored four straight points and never trailed the remainder of the set. After Oswego claimed an 11-5 advantage, two Laker attack errors and kills by Simmons and Hyde pulled the Cardinals within two at 11-9. Plattsburgh State drew within a point of the visitors at 14-13 following back-to-back Oswego attack errors and once again came within one at 15-14 after a Simmons kill, but the Lakers scored 10 of the match's final 12 points in a 25-16 set-three victory.
 
Simmons keyed the Cardinal attack with eight kills and a .417 hitting percentage, while Hyde had five kills and 12 digs. Rock handed out 16 assists, while Mennonna served up two aces.
 
For Oswego, senior outside hitter Shauna O'Flaherty slammed down 16 kills and fashioned a .519 hitting percentage while posting four service aces. Senior setter Julia Flohr paced the attack to the tune of 32 assists, while sophomore outside hitter/libero Skylar Bechard and senior middle blocker Lauren Fie reinforced the defense with 13 digs and four total blocks (two solo, two assist), respectively.