PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Despite nearly winning the first set, the Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (28-26, 25-19, 25-20) decision to Fredonia on Friday evening in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action at Memorial Hall.
 
The Blue Devils finished with a .171 hitting percentage and held the upper hand in service aces (6-5), blocks (7-5) and digs (63-52).
 
Plattsburgh State drops to 7-8 overall (1-3 SUNYAC) with the loss and hosts Buffalo State tomorrow at 1 p.m. Prior to the start of the match, the Cardinals will honor their seven seniors as a part of Senior Day. Fredonia rises to 7-8 overall (3-1 SUNYAC) with the win and visits SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 1 p.m.
 
The Cardinals appeared in control early and relied on a six-point surge to build a commanding nine-point lead. Sophomore setter Emma Rivers (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown West) capped off the run with a service ace to stake the home team to a 17-8 lead. The Blue Devils scored five of the next six points, but a Fredonia ball-handling error, two Fredonia hitting errors and a kill by sophomore defensive specialist/outside hitter Payton Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) extended the Plattsburgh State advantage back out to nine (22-13). Fredonia went on a 7-1 tear, and while a kill by senior opposite Kaitlyn Bjelko (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown) brought up set point at 24-20, the Blue Devils won four straight rallies to tie the score at 24-all. Senior setter/defensive specialist Olga Muka (Hicksville, N.Y./Holy Trinity Diocesan) gave the Cardinals a 25-24 edge before two straight Fredonia points put Plattsburgh State on the ropes. Senior outside hitter/opposite Meghan O'Brien (Marietta, N.Y./Marcellus) staved off set point to tie the score at 26-all, but back-to-back Blue Devil kills sealed a 28-26 win for the visitors in the first.
 
A kill by senior middle hitter Ann Beauchamp (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) handed Plattsburgh State a 10-9 cushion in the second set, but that wound up being the last lead the Cardinals had in the stanza, as the Blue Devils scored six of the next seven points to build a 15-11 advantage. Zophy floored a kill to cap a 4-1 Plattsburgh State tear late in the set to draw the Cardinals within 22-19, but Fredonia closed out the frame with three consecutive points.
 
The two teams battled back and forth for much of the third set, and a kill by O'Brien and a Blue Devil attacking error put the Cardinals in front, 18-16. Each team had a service error before Fredonia brought up match point with seven unanswered points. Junior outside hitter/opposite Jenn Braun (Garrison, N.Y./Walter Panas) broke up the run with a kill, but Fredonia's junior middle blocker Emily Jones cemented the Blue Devils' victory with a 25-20 win in the third.
 
Braun led a balanced Plattsburgh State attack with seven kills, while Rivers and Muka doled out 15 and 13 assists, respectively. Zophy defended a match-high and a career-high-tying 21 digs, while her sister, senior libero/defensive specialist Maddy Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa), also reached double figures in digs with 13. Braun and senior middle hitter Alicia Fisher (Brooklyn, N.Y./Science Skills) reinforced the front row with four and three block assists, respectively.
 
For Fredonia, Jones and senior outside hitter Christine Ackendorf posted 13 and 10 kills, respectively, while sophomore setter/outside hitter Kourtney Krchniak distributed 27 assists, defended 11 digs and served up three aces. Sophomore libero Sierra Keim, freshman libero Olivia Emley and junior outside hitter Brinn Shaughnessy all had double-digit dig figures with 15, 12 and 12, respectively.