CASTLETON, Vt. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team ended its 2021 campaign the way it started: with a victory over Castleton University. The Cardinals topped the Spartans, 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-12), in its season finale on Wednesday evening at Glenbrook Gym in non-conference action.
 
The Cardinals, who defeated the Spartans, 3-1, in the season opener for both teams back on Sept. 1, hit .224 for the match, including a sizzling .387 clip in the third set, and held an 8-4 margin in service aces, an 8-0 differential in blocks and a 58-54 edge in digs.
 
Plattsburgh State closes out its season at 10-15 overall, while Castleton drops to 5-17 overall with the loss and next visits Fisher College on Friday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m.
 
Castleton used a 5-1 run to take a 19-14 lead in the first set, but senior outside hitter/opposite Meghan O'Brien (Marietta, N.Y./Marcellus) stopped the run with a kill before senior opposite Kaitlyn Bjelko (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown) and senior middle hitter Ann Beauchamp (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) combined for a block assist on the ensuing rally. The Spartans extended their lead to four with a kill by freshman outside hitter Hailey Martinovich, but a kill by sophomore defensive specialist/outside hitter Payton Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) and a Spartan hitting miscue trimmed the gap to two. A Cardinal service error gave the home team the serve back, but Plattsburgh State stormed ahead with five unanswered points, and a service ace by senior setter/defensive specialist Olga Muka (Hicksville, N.Y./Holy Trinity Diocesan) handed the Cardinals a 23-21 advantage. Each team sided each other out before a Castleton attacking error gave Plattsburgh State a 25-23 win in the first.
 
While the Cardinals scored the first four points of the second set and eventually opened up an 11-5 lead, the Spartans chipped away at the deficit and twice pulled within a point at 19-18 and 20-19. A kill by Beauchamp, a Castleton attacking error and an O'Brien termination put the Cardinals in front, 23-19, and while the Spartans scored two straight points coming out of a timeout, an O'Brien kill and a block assist by senior middle hitter Alicia Fisher (Brooklyn, N.Y./Science Skills) and junior outside hitter/opposite Jenn Braun (Garrison, N.Y./Walter Panas) sealed a 25-21 triumph for the Cardinals in the second.
 
The two teams battled back and forth early in the third set, with Plattsburgh State keeping Castleton at arm's length throughout. After a Martinovich kill cut the Spartan deficit to 17-12, the Cardinals closed the match with eight straight points, which included three service aces and a kill by Zophy. Plattsburgh State recorded a 25-12 set win in the match-clinching third.
 
Zophy posted a 10-kill, 11-dig double-double to lead the Cardinals as a six-rotation threat, while Muka and sophomore setter Emma Rivers (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown West) dished out 17 and 16 assists, respectively, pacing Plattsburgh State's 6-2 offense. Defensively, senior libero/defensive specialist Maddy Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) defended 20 digs, while Braun posted five block assists.
 
Martinovich led Castleton with 10 kills and 14 digs, while senior setter Bre MacDuff distributed 22 assists. Sophomore libero/defensive specialist Mackenzie Wade also strengthened the back row with 19 digs.
 
Wednesday marked the final collegiate match for the Cardinals' seven seniors: Allyssa Rock (West Chazy, N.Y./Beekmantown), O'Brien, Maddy Zophy, Muka, Fisher, Bjelko and Beauchamp.