PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team fell, 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-19), to non-conference Skidmore College in its penultimate game of the regular season on Friday evening at Memorial Hall.
The Thoroughbreds hit .180 (34-16-100) for the match and owned the upper hand in service aces (10-4) and digs (44-43), while the Cardinals held a 4-3 advantage in blocks.
Sophomore middle hitter
Jeannette Ashong (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) paced the Cardinals with 10 kills and a .625 hitting percentage while also posting three block assists. Senior setter
Emma Rivers (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown West) distributed 12 assists, while senior libero
Payton Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) defended 14 digs.
For Skidmore, first-year outside hitter Madison Manning floored nine kills and four service aces, while first-year setter Catriona Hoelperl handed out 18 assists. First-year libero Athena Braverman led the back row defensively with 16 digs.
Plattsburgh State falls to 12-11 overall with the loss and closes out its regular-season slate tomorrow at 2 p.m. against Union College. Skidmore rises to 12-13 overall with the win and visits Vassar College in the first round of the Liberty League Tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m.
After back-and-forth play marked the beginning stages of the first set, Skidmore went on a 6-1 run to take a 19-13 lead. Plattsburgh State stormed back with an 8-2 tear, and while first-year middle hitter Katerina Wagner (Seattle, Wash./Foxcroft School [Va.]) floored a kill to knot the score at 22-all, the Thoroughbreds scored three straight points to close the first set.
Skidmore controlled the momentum for the majority of the second set, though Plattsburgh State did piece together a 6-2 surge to cut the gap to 24-19. The Cardinals ultimately ran out of room, as the Thoroughbreds captured the second, 25-19.
Ashong tallied four kills early in the third set, as Plattsburgh State jumped out to a 14-10 advantage. A 12-1 Skidmore run, however, put the visitors up, 22-15, and the Thoroughbreds cruised to a 25-19 triumph in the third.
