PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team closed out action at the Cardinal Classic on Saturday at Memorial Hall with a 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-21) loss to two-time-defending Liberty League champion Clarkson University.
 
The Golden Knights hit .170 for the match and held the upper hand in kills (33-24), service aces (10-2) and digs (50-47), while the Cardinals owned a 7-3 advantage in blocks.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 0-3 overall with the loss and next hosts Northern Vermont University-Johnson on Friday, Sept. 9, at 4 p.m. to open up the Plattsburgh State Classic. Clarkson rises to 2-1 overall with the win and next hosts Lasell University on Friday, Sept. 9, at 4 p.m.
 
The Cardinals hung tough early in the first set, but the Golden Knights rattled off six unanswered points to take a 14-6 lead. Clarkson continued to push the pace until Plattsburgh State countered with three straight points, and a block assist by senior right side Jenn Braun (Garrison, N.Y./Walter Panas) and graduate student middle hitter Alicia Fisher (Brooklyn, N.Y./Science Skills) drew the Cardinals within 20-11. The Golden Knights scored five of the set's final six points and took the first, 25-12.
 
Plattsburgh State jumped out to a 6-3 lead in the second and continued to hang on after a Clarkson service error and a service ace by junior setter Emma Rivers (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown West) staked the Cardinals to a 10-7 advantage. The Golden Knights then scored six unanswered points, and the Cardinals scored consecutive points on just two occasions down the stretch in a 25-18 set victory for Clarkson.
 
In the third, Plattsburgh State hopped out to a 10-5 lead on the strength of a five-point surge that included two kills by graduate student right side Kaitlyn Bjelko (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown). The Golden Knights took the lead after a six-point run, and after first-year outside hitter Maggie Lyon (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) tied the score at 12-all with a kill, Clarkson went on a four-point tear. The Cardinals came within two points four times the rest of the way, but the Golden Knights held on for a 25-21 triumph in the set to clinch the match victory.
 
Bjelko, Braun and junior outside hitter Payton Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) all landed five kills, while first-year setter/right side Kyleigh Ganz (Phoenix, Ariz./Seton Catholic Prep) and Rivers dished out 11 and nine assists, respectively. Braun finished with five block assists, while junior defensive specialist/libero Shannon Fitzpatrick (Westtown, N.Y./Rhinebeck) paced the back row defensively with 11 digs.
 
For Clarkson, senior outside hitter Kristin Werdine tallied nine kills and four service aces, while senior setter Isabelle Crow handed out 22 assists and defended seven digs. Senior libero/defensive specialist Emma Baxter posted the match high in digs with 17.