PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team clinched a spot in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament for the first time since 2013, as the Cardinals defeated Fredonia, 3-2 (25-22, 16-25, 25-17, 19-25, 17-15), in the conference finale for both teams on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Hall. It also marked Senior Day for Plattsburgh State's four seniors.
 
Prior to the start of the match, the Cardinals honored their four seniors: libero Payton Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa), defensive specialists Shannon Fitzpatrick (Westtown, N.Y./Rhinebeck) and Lily White (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) and setter Emma Rivers (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown West).
 
In addition, Zophy tallied her 1,000th career dig during the first set, becoming the 10th Cardinal in program history and the first since 2013 to reach that milestone. Zophy, who now has 1,023 career digs to her credit, is the SUNYAC leader in digs per set (5.60).
 
The victory marks just the second for Plattsburgh State in a 14-match all-time series with Fredonia, with its only other win coming on Nov. 3, 1984, when the two teams first met.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 11-10 overall (3-6 SUNYAC) with the win and next hosts St. Lawrence University on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 6:30 p.m. The Cardinals earned the No. 6 seed in the SUNYAC Tournament and will visit third-seeded SUNY Geneseo in the first round on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at a time to be determined. Fredonia falls to 4-18 overall (2-7 SUNYAC) with the loss and next visits Hilbert College on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m.
 
While the Cardinals jumped out to a 10-7 lead in the first set, the Blue Devils countered with five straight points to take a 12-10 advantage. The two teams traded points until a 3-0 surge put Plattsburgh State up, 22-19, and they sided each other out from that point forward until the Cardinals claimed the opening set, 25-22.
 
Down 13-7 in the second set, Plattsburgh State nearly climbed all the way back, with a block assist by first-year outside hitter Liya Girma (Sachse, Texas/Bishop Lynch) and first-year middle hitter Katie Salphine (Le Roy, N.Y./Le Roy) drawing the Cardinals within one at 16-15 following a 6-2 Plattsburgh State tear. Fredonia scored the final eight points of the second to take the set, 25-16.
 
The Cardinals began to pull away in the third with a 4-1 run that included a kill and a block assist by Salphine, as they took a 15-11 lead. A 5-0 Plattsburgh State tear that was capped off by a Girma kill handed the Cardinals a 21-13 cushion, and while the Blue Devils scored four straight points, Plattsburgh State ended the set with four unanswered points of its own to post a 25-17 triumph in the third.
 
Fredonia controlled much of the fourth set, building a 21-11 advantage, but Plattsburgh State chipped away at the deficit in an 8-2 scoring spree, drawing within four at 23-19 following a Girma service ace. The Blue Devils scored the ensuing two points to force a deciding set with a 25-19 victory in the fourth.
 
In the fifth set, Fredonia hung around for the entirety of the frame despite taking only one lead. A Girma kill punctuated three straight points for the Cardinals to give the home team an 8-5 edge at the switch, but a 4-1 Fredonia run pinned the Blue Devils to a 13-12 advantage. A service error and a kill by sophomore middle hitter Jeannette Ashong (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) put Plattsburgh State back on top, and the two teams traded points before a Girma kill and a block assist by Ashong and sophomore outside hitter Maggie Lyon (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) clinched the match with a 17-15 Cardinal win in the fifth.
 
Despite losing the match, Fredonia outhit Plattsburgh State .101-to-.068 and owned the upper hand in service aces (16-8) and digs (95-83). The Cardinals had a 9-5 edge in blocks.
 
Girma posted a 13-kill, 14-dig double-double, while Rivers and sophomore setter/right side Kyleigh Ganz (Phoenix, Ariz./Seton Catholic Prep) combined for 37 assists. First-year right side Darby Collyear (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall) nearly had a double-double, finishing the afternoon with 10 kills and nine digs. Defensively, Zophy defended 27 digs, while Salphine (one solo, three assist) and Ashong (four assist) each notched four total blocks.
 
For Fredonia, junior middle hitter Erin Callahan, junior outside hitter Gabrielle Sordetto and first-year outside hitter Kylie O'Brien led the way with 13, 12 and 10 kills, respectively, while first-year setter Molly Cassidy had a 38-assist, 18-dig double-double. Senior libero Elora Sherman tallied 23 digs to key the Blue Devils' back-row defense.