PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – After dropping their first conference game of the season last Saturday, the Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team looked to get back in the win column in another home conference showdown. Despite a late first-set rally, Cortland gained control in the second and third sets as the Cardinals fell 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-14) in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action at Memorial Hall.
Senior outside hitter
Liya Girma (Sachse, Texas/Bishop Lynch) led the Cardinals offensively with nine kills and added seven digs, while first-year middle blocker
Augustina White (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) followed with six kills and paced Plattsburgh with three blocks. Senior libero
KC Burke (Murrieta, Calif./Northfield Mount Hermon [Mass.]) contributed seven digs, while sophomore setter
Emily O'Brien (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) set up the attack with a game-high 18 assists.
For the Red Dragons, Samantha Taggart led the offense with 13 assists, while Kira Pirrera recorded a game-high 12 kills. Sarah Taggart led the defense with 14 digs, while Annika Defullo added a game-high four blocks. Cortland controlled the match statistically, holding the advantage in digs, 42-30, service aces, 11-4, and blocks, 8-3.
Cortland established control early in the opening set, building an 11-2 lead before Plattsburgh responded with a 4-0 burst led by three kills from Girma to cut the deficit to 17-11. The Cardinals continued to fight back, as a kill from
Darby Collyear (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall) brought the score to 22-16, but Cortland maintained its advantage to close out the set, 25-17.
Plattsburgh kept the second set competitive early, as a service ace from Burke and a kill from Collyear brought the Cardinals within one at 6-5. Cortland shifted the momentum, however, putting together a lengthy scoring run to stretch its lead to 19-5. The Red Dragons carried that advantage through the finish, taking the set 25-12.
The Cardinals looked to respond in the third set, trading points with Cortland early, followed by a 4-0 burst capped by a service ace from O'Brien that tied the score at 9-9. The Red Dragons answered with a scoring surge to take the lead for good, then continued to pull away down the stretch to secure a 25-14 set win and earn the 3-0 match victory.
With the loss, Plattsburgh State moves to 11-11 overall and 2-2 in SUNYAC play. The Cardinals will be back in action tomorrow, Oct. 24, when they host Alfred State at 1 p.m.
