PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team opened up the 2022 season on Friday at Memorial Hall, falling to NCAA Division II Saint Michael's College, 3-0 (27-25, 25-21, 25-23), and the United States Coast Guard Academy, 3-0 (25-8, 25-22, 25-16), during action at the Cardinal Classic.
 
Plattsburgh State drops to 0-2 overall with the losses and closes out action at the Cardinal Classic tomorrow against two-time defending Liberty League champion Clarkson University at 5 p.m. Saint Michael's finished the day at 1-1 overall, while Coast Guard ended the evening at 2-0.
 
Saint Michael's 3, Plattsburgh State 0 (27-25, 25-21, 25-23)
 
Despite outhitting the Purple Knights in the first and third sets, the Cardinals wound up dropping their season opener by a tight margin. Saint Michael's hit .130 for the afternoon, while Plattsburgh State's offense fired at a .121 clip. The Purple Knights also held a 42-29 edge in blocks, a 13-9 cushion in service aces and a 66-49 differential in digs. The Cardinals, meanwhile, were strong at the net, holding a 9-3 advantage in blocks.
 
First-year outside hitter Maggie Lyon (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) had eight kills and fashioned a .318 hitting percentage in her collegiate debut, while junior outside hitter Payton Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) nearly boasted a double-double with eight kills and 17 digs. First-year middle hitter Jeannette Ashong (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) fared well in her first collegiate match, too, posting four block assists and three service aces. Junior setter Emma Rivers (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown West) and first-year setter/right side Kyleigh Ganz (Phoenix, Ariz./Seton Catholic Prep) combined for 25 assists, while graduate student middle hitter Alicia Fisher (Brooklyn, N.Y./Science Skills) registered five block assists.
 
For Saint Michael's, junior outside hitter Caitlin O'Connor floored 16 kills, while first-year outside hitter Ella Patterson had an 11-kill, 16-dig double-double. O'Connor also added nine digs and four service aces to her stat line. Sophomore setter Alexandra Báez Rentas kept the offense moving with 32 assists and chipped in with 14 digs as well.
 
Coast Guard 3, Plattsburgh State 0 (25-8, 25-22, 25-16)
 
Plattsburgh State faced a tough opponent in Coast Guard in its final match of the day, as the Bears hit .349 and owned the upper hand in kills (42-23), service aces (7-5), blocks (7-4) and digs (37-24).
 
Zophy keyed the Cardinal attack with eight kills and added seven digs, while Rivers and Ganz combined for 20 assists.
 
For Coast Guard, sophomore outside hitter Shannon Shaw led the way with 10 kills, a .444 hitting percentage and nine digs. Junior setter Maeve Duffin and senior setter/right side Noelle Tursky combined for 33 assists, while junior defensive specialist Carmen Zipf led the defense with 10 digs.