PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team rallied from behind in each set to post a 3-0 (25-20, 27-25, 25-20) non-conference victory over Northern Vermont University-Johnson on Wednesday evening at Memorial Hall. Plattsburgh State avenged a five-set loss it sustained against NVU-Johnson back on Sept. 21.
 
The Cardinals hit .147 for the match and held the upper hand in service aces (15-6) and digs (56-49). The Badgers held a 5-3 advantage in blocks.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 8-14 overall with the win and faces State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC)-leading SUNY Cortland next on Friday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m. NVU-Johnson falls to 7-10 overall with the loss and visits Northern Vermont University-Lyndon in its regular-season finale on Saturday, Oct. 23, at 1 p.m.
 
Both teams traded momentum early in the first set before NVU-Johnson went on a 7-2 tear to take a 16-11 lead. Plattsburgh State relied on the tough serve of sophomore setter Emma Rivers (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown West) to capture an 18-16 advantage thanks to three Rivers service aces as a part of a 7-0 run. The Cardinals cruised down the stretch in the first, and a pair of service aces by senior setter Allyssa Rock (West Chazy, N.Y./Beekmantown) gave Plattsburgh State a 25-20 victory in the first.
 
The Badgers reversed an 8-5 deficit into a 10-8 lead in the second set with five unanswered points, and after a service error ended the run, NVU-Johnson went on a 6-1 surge to construct a 16-10 advantage. The Cardinals slowly chipped away at the lead, and a 6-1 run that was capped off with a kill by junior outside hitter/opposite Jenn Braun (Garrison, N.Y./Walter Panas) put Plattsburgh State out in front, 24-22. The Badgers won two consecutive rallies to tie the score, and after each team sided each other out, an NVU-Johnson service error and a kill by sophomore defensive specialist/outside hitter Payton Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) gave the Cardinals a 27-25 triumph in the second.
 
While NVU-Johnson hopped out to an 11-6 lead in the third, Plattsburgh State scored eight of the next nine points to take a 14-12 cushion. The Badgers broke up the run with a kill by senior outside hitter Christina Betham, but an NVU-Johnson service error, a block assist by senior middle hitter Alicia Fisher (Brooklyn, N.Y./Science Skills) and Braun, a kill by Fisher and a Rivers service ace handed the home team a commanding 18-13 advantage. Plattsburgh State kept NVU-Johnson from building significant momentum the remainder of the set, and the Cardinals closed out the match with a 25-20 win in the third.
 
Fisher paced a balanced Cardinal attack with seven kills and a .429 hitting percentage, while Rivers doled out 14 assists, defended nine digs and served up five aces. Zophy keyed the back row defensively with 18 digs.
 
For NVU-Johnson, first-year outside hitter/right side Vanessa Chavez posted an 11-kill, 14-dig double-double, while first-year right side Julia Sadlon distributed 14 assists.