NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (25-9, 25-19, 25-22) decision to SUNY New Paltz in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action on Saturday afternoon at the Hawk Center.
 
New Paltz hit .193 (35-19-83) for the match and held the upper hand in service aces (11-2) and digs (38-25). The Cardinals owned a 9-4 advantage in blocks.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 10-9 overall (2-5 SUNYAC) with the loss and opens up a five-match home stand to close out the regular season when it hosts Buffalo State on Friday, Oct. 27, at 6 p.m. New Paltz rises to 17-6 overall (7-1 SUNYAC) with the win and next visits SUNY Oneonta on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 3:30 p.m. in the SUNYAC finale for both teams.
 
After first-year outside hitter Liya Girma (Sachse, Texas/Bishop Lynch) pounded down a kill to cut the gap to 2-1 in the first set, New Paltz scored 13 unanswered points to pull ahead and ultimately take the opening frame by a 25-9 tally.
 
Plattsburgh State nearly clawed back from a 20-12 deficit in the second set, going on a 5-1 tear to pull within four at 21-17. The two teams sided each other out four times before the Hawks scored the final two points of the stanza to claim the second, 25-19.
 
The Cardinals started out strong in the early stages of the third set, building a 5-0 lead on the strength of two kills and two block assists from first-year right side Darby Collyear (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall). A 7-1 Hawk run pinned the home team to a 7-6 lead, and while the two teams traded momentum midway through the set, New Paltz ultimately reversed an 18-17 deficit into a 23-19 advantage. Kills by Collyear and sophomore outside hitter Maggie Lyon (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) and a block assist by Lyon and sophomore middle hitter Jeannette Ashong (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) drew Plattsburgh State within one at 23-22, but the Hawks won the ensuing two rallies to clinch the match victory.
 
Collyear led the Plattsburgh State attack with five kills, while senior setter Emma Rivers (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown West) and sophomore setter/right side Kyleigh Ganz (Phoenix, Ariz./Seton Catholic Prep) combined for 11 assists. Defensively, Ashong tallied five total blocks (one solo, four assist), while senior libero Payton Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) defended seven digs.
 
For New Paltz, senior outside hitter Mackenzie Williams keyed the offense with 11 kills, while senior setter Cate DiGiacomo distributed 23 assists and defended 11 digs to complete the double-double.