OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team fell to Oswego State, 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-23), in its State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) opener on Friday evening at Max Ziel Gymnasium.
 
The Lakers hit .280 for the match and owned the upper hand in service aces (8-2), blocks (7-3) and digs (40-37). The Cardinals posted a respectable .163 hitting percentage, flooring 34 kills against 17 errors in 104 total attempts.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 4-6 overall (0-1 SUNYAC) with the loss and next visits reigning SUNYAC champion SUNY Cortland tomorrow for a 1 p.m. match. Oswego rises to 10-6 overall (1-1 SUNYAC) with the win and next hosts SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 1 p.m.
 
The Cardinals scored five straight points to take an 8-4 lead early in the first set, and after two Laker points, a kill by first-year middle hitter Jeannette Ashong (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington), a service ace by first-year outside hitter/right side Sanaia Estime (West Hempstead, N.Y./West Hempstead) and a kill by first-year setter/right side Kyleigh Ganz (Phoenix, Ariz./Seton Catholic Prep) opened up an 11-6 Plattsburgh State advantage. The Cardinals went back up by five when a Ganz termination pushed the score to 14-9, and the two teams went point for point until Oswego won six consecutive points to seize a 23-22 cushion late in the set. A kill by senior right side Jenn Braun (Garrison, N.Y./Walter Panas) tied the score, but the Lakers received kills from senior outside hitter Sydney Chifriller and sophomore outside hitter Cara Simplicio to take the first, 25-23.
 
Both teams traded points in the second set until Oswego won four consecutive rallies to take an 11-8 lead. Plattsburgh State went back up by one with a 4-0 surge, and the Lakers scored the next two points to go back out in front. Oswego never trailed from that point forward in the second, and a 5-0 spurt late in the set staked the home team to a 24-18 lead. The Lakers ended up taking the set by a 25-19 score.
 
Neither side was able to find much separation in the early going in the third set, but a 5-0 Cardinal run that was capped off with a kill by graduate student middle hitter Alicia Fisher (Brooklyn, N.Y./Science Skills) handed Plattsburgh State a 20-17 edge. Oswego tied the score with three unanswered points, and while a service error brought the serve back to the Cardinals, the Lakers took a 22-21 lead with a kill by junior middle hitter Georgia Farry and a Plattsburgh State attacking error. First-year outside hitter Maggie Lyon (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) brought the score back to level with a termination, but back-to-back Oswego points brought up match point. Lyon fought off the first match point with a kill, but Oswego's junior middle hitter Grace Taylor sealed the match victory for the Lakers with a kill. Oswego took the third set by a 25-23 score.
 
Ashong and Ganz hit .600 (7-1-10) and .429 (7-1-14), respectively, to key the Cardinal attack, while Ganz and junior setter Emma Rivers (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown West) combined for 24 assists. First-year defensive specialist/libero Madison Bolinger (Tolleson, Ariz./University) led the defense with 11 digs.
 
For Oswego, senior outside hitter/right side Emma Fiorentine landed nine kills, while Chifriller and Farry each added eight. Junior setter Nyah Dias handed out 27 assists and served up three aces, while Farry had five total blocks (three solo, two assist) and junior outside hitter Ally Natale defended 16 digs to lead the defense.