GENESEO, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team nearly won the second set in a 3-0 (25-13, 33-31, 25-16) State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) loss to SUNY Geneseo on Saturday afternoon at Carl Schrader Gymnasium.
 
Down 19-18 in the second set, the Cardinals took a 21-19 lead after three unanswered points off of two kills from first-year middle hitter Katarina Wagner (Seattle, Wash./Foxcroft School [Va.]) and a Knight attacking error, but Geneseo won the next two points to tie the score at 21-all. The two teams sided each other out before the Knights put the Cardinals on the ropes with two straight points to take a 30-29 advantage, but Geneseo committed a ball-handling error and an attacking error to give Plattsburgh State set point. The Knights then won the next three rallies to win the second, 33-31.
 
Both teams put up strong offensive numbers, with Geneseo hitting .252 (43-14-115) for the match and Plattsburgh State hitting .153 (31-16-98). The Knights owned a 15-2 advantage in service aces and a 5-2 edge in blocks, while the Cardinals held a 54-46 cushion in digs.
 
First-year right side Darby Collyear (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall) and Wagner led the Cardinal attack with eight kills apiece, with Wagner hitting .571 for the match with a career-high eight kills and no errors in 14 total attempts. Senior setter Emma Rivers (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown West) distributed 20 assists, while senior libero Payton Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) upped her SUNYAC lead in digs per set (5.54) with 21 for the afternoon.
 
For Geneseo, senior middle hitter Alisiana Muscoreil, senior outside hitter Linda Rossi and sophomore right side Sommer Madigan each landed eight kills, while junior setter/right side Jenna Garvey and junior setter Alexandra Driesen combined for 30 assists. Senior libero Cecilia Dignan paced the back row defensively with 13 digs.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 7-6 overall (0-2 SUNYAC) with the loss and returns to the friendly confines of Memorial Hall for the first time in over a month on Friday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m. when it entertains Oswego State. Geneseo rises to 6-8 overall (2-0 SUNYAC) with the win and visits SUNY Oneonta next on Friday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m.
 
Both teams went on 5-0 runs to start out the first set, and after the two teams traded points, Geneseo closed the opening stanza on a 15-4 tear en route to a 25-13 win.
 
After Geneseo hopped out to a 10-4 advantage in the third set, the Cardinals stormed back with a 5-1 spurt, and a Wagner kill and a Knight setting error drew Plattsburgh State within two at 11-9. The Knights scored four of the next five points to construct a 15-10 edge, and while Collyear and first-year outside hitter Liya Girma (Sachse, Texas/Bishop Lynch) pounded down back-to-back kills in response, Geneseo pulled away after five consecutive side outs. The Knights claimed the third set, 25-16.