ONEONTA, N.Y. – Senior libero Payton Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) played perhaps her best match yet with a career-high 47 digs, but the Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team dropped a 3-2 (21-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-19, 15-9) heartbreaker to SUNY Oneonta in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action on Friday evening at Dewar Arena.
 
Zophy widened SUNYAC lead in digs per set (5.84) and also contributed with five assists and a service ace. First-year right side Darby Collyear (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall) and first-year outside hitter Liya Girma (Sachse, Texas/Bishop Lynch) paced the attack with 12 and 10 kills, respectively, while Girma completed the double-double with 19 digs. Senior setter Emma Rivers (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown West) and sophomore setter/right side Kyleigh Ganz (Phoenix, Ariz./Seton Catholic Prep) kept the offense running with 25 and 16 assists, respectively.
 
For Oneonta, senior outside hitter Isabella Fabrizio and sophomore outside hitter Julia Reedy ignited the offense with 14 and 13 kills, respectively, while junior setter Layla Driscoll-Webster distributed 48 assists and defended 18 digs. Junior libero Annalisa Alicea led the Red Dragon back row defensively with 39 digs.
 
Oneonta hit .154 (56-22-221) for the match, while Plattsburgh State fashioned a .113 (57-32-222) hitting percentage. The Cardinals owned a 130-122 edge in digs, while the Red Dragons held the upper hand in service aces (8-4) and blocks (9-2).
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 10-8 overall (2-4 SUNYAC) with the loss and next visits SUNY New Paltz tomorrow at 1 p.m. Oneonta rises to 4-15 overall (1-6 SUNYAC) with the win and entertains SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 1 p.m.
 
After Plattsburgh State jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the first set, Oneonta countered with five straight points to take an 8-7 advantage. Zophy capped off an 8-2 Cardinal surge with a kill to give Plattsburgh State a 15-10 cushion, and the Red Dragons were unable to close the gap, as the Cardinals won the opening stanza, 25-21.
 
In the second set, the Cardinals reversed a 20-19 Red Dragon lead with three straight points off an Oneonta service error and kills by Zophy and Girma. After Oneonta sided Plattsburgh State out, the Cardinals scored the final three points of the set to claim the second, 25-21.
 
Plattsburgh State appeared in control in the third set, with a kill by sophomore outside hitter Maggie Lyon (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) handing the Cardinals an 18-11 cushion. Oneonta's fortunes in the match changed, however, when it rattled off nine consecutive points to pull ahead, 20-18. The Cardinals were unable to score consecutive points the rest of the set, as the Red Dragons posted a 25-22 win in the third.
 
While Oneonta took a 16-11 advantage in the fourth set, Plattsburgh State eventually drew within one at 18-17 after a 6-2 tear that was capped off by a Ganz termination. The Red Dragons scored seven of the set's final nine points to take a 25-19 victory in the fourth.
 
Oneonta never trailed in the deciding fifth set, leading 8-3 at the switch. Plattsburgh State whittled the gap to four points at 13-9 following a kill by sophomore middle hitter Jeannette Ashong (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington), but the Red Dragons scored the final two points of the match.