GENESEO, N.Y. – Senior libero Payton Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) finished the season and her career with program records in digs per set, but the sixth-seeded Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (25-16, 25-12, 25-8) decision to third-seeded SUNY Geneseo in the first round of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament on Tuesday evening at Schrader Gymnasium.
 
Zophy finished the season with 5.57 digs per set and her career with 4.61 digs per set, improving upon the former single-season mark of 4.99 set by Ashley Walters in 2003 and the career mark of 4.38 set by Bryanne Yasui from 2016-17. Furthermore, she tallied 1,087 career digs to rank ninth all-time in the program's record book. Senior setter Emma Rivers (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown West) wrapped up her career with 1,071 assists to rank ninth all-time in program history.
 
Tuesday marked the final collegiate match for the Cardinals' senior class: defensive specialist Shannon Fitzpatrick (Westtown, N.Y./Rhinebeck), Zophy, Rivers and defensive specialist Lily White (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs).
 
Plattsburgh State ends its season at 12-13 overall and qualified for the SUNYAC Tournament for the first time since 2013. Geneseo rises to 13-13 overall with the win and squares off with second-seeded SUNY New Paltz in the SUNYAC Tournament semifinals on Friday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m.
 
After Geneseo scored the first 12 points of the match, the Cardinals countered with a 9-3 run that included three kills from sophomore outside hitter Maggie Lyon (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa). Geneseo then went on an 8-3 spurt to build up a 23-12 lead, and while Plattsburgh State scored four straight points, the Knights closed out the set with two unanswered points to take the first, 25-16.
 
Plattsburgh State hung tough early in the second set, as a block assist by first-year middle hitter Katarina Wagner (Seattle, Wash./Foxcroft School [Va.]) cut the gap to 5-4. Geneseo went on a 10-2 surge to take a 15-6 advantage, and the Cardinals were unable to score consecutive points the rest of the set as the Knights prevailed, 25-12, in the second.
 
The two teams traded points in the early stages of the third set before the Knights scored five straight points to seize an 8-3 advantage. Geneseo used a 7-0 tear midway through the set to gain the separation it needed to pull out a 25-8 match-clinching victory in the third.
 
Sophomore middle hitter Jeannette Ashong (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) and first-year outside hitter/right side Iris Mulvey (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) paced the Cardinal attack with four kills each, while Rivers distributed eight assists. Zophy paced the defense with a match-high 18 digs.
 
For Geneseo, senior outside hitter Madison Popielski hit .350 on seven kills and no errors on 20 swings, while sophomore setter Carolyn Mack and junior setter/right side Jenna Garvey combined for 24 assists. Garvey served up nine aces, while senior libero Cecilia Dignan defended 12 digs and junior middle hitter Madison Gamberg tallied four total blocks (one solo, three assist).
 
Geneseo hit .261 (31-7-92) for the match and owned the upper hand in service aces (12-4) and blocks (7-3), while Plattsburgh State held a 48-42 advantage in digs.