OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team entered Friday night's match looking to end a three-game skid in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action against Oswego State at Max Ziel Gymnasium. In a back-and-forth five-set battle that saw both teams win two consecutive sets to force a deciding frame, the Cardinals came up short in the final set, falling 3-2 (20-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-10, 15-13) in a Friday night matchup.
Sophomore setter
Emily O'Brien (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) set up the attack with 37 assists, eclipsing the 1,000-assist mark for her career. She also added 15 digs to record a double-double. The Cardinals' offense was led by the one-two punch of senior outside hitter
Liya Girma (Sachse, Texas/Bishop Lynch) and senior opposite hitter
Darby Collyear (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall). Girma finished with a career-high 20 kills and 12 digs for a double-double, while Collyear followed with 13 kills and a career-high 20 digs to record a double-double as well. Senior libero
KC Burke (Murrieta, Calif./Northfield Mount Hermon [Mass.]) led the defense with a game-high 21 digs, helping Plattsburgh hold an 85-73 advantage in the category, while adding seven assists.
For the Lakers, Priscilla McReynolds paced the team with 17 kills, while Mya Bush set up the offense with a game-high 40 assists. Bush and CJ Eidem also led all players with three blocks apiece, contributing to Oswego State's 9-3 advantage in the category. The Lakers also held the edge in service aces, 13-9.
Plattsburgh jumped out to a 9-5 lead after Girma recorded a kill followed by a service ace early in the opening set. The Lakers stayed within reach, cutting the deficit to 15-12 before a 4-0 burst featuring kills from Girma and O'Brien extended the Cardinals' advantage to 19-12. Oswego State answered by pulling within three, but Girma closed out the set with back-to-back kills to secure a 25-20 win.
Plattsburgh answered an early 5-3 deficit in the second set with a 5-0 surge sparked by a Collyear kill and capped by O'Brien, giving the Cardinals an 8-5 lead. Oswego State reclaimed the advantage midway through the set, going ahead 12-10 and extending its lead to 14-11 before Plattsburgh erupted for seven straight points to take control. Despite another push from the Lakers, Collyear smashed down a kill to seal the 25-23 set win and give the Cardinals a two-set advantage.
The Lakers controlled the third set from the start, jumping out to a 14-4 lead. Plattsburgh began chipping away midway through the frame, using a 5-0 stretch to pull within 16-12. After Oswego State extended its advantage to 20-13, the Cardinals continued to close the gap, cutting it to 20-16. The Lakers held on down the stretch, however, taking the set 25-20.
A kill from
Augustina White (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) tied the score at 4-4 in the fourth set, but Oswego State took control from there. The Cardinals made a push late, as back-to-back kills from Collyear and Girma trimmed the deficit to 17-10. Plattsburgh could not build on that momentum, and the Lakers closed out the set, 25-10, to force a deciding fifth.
Oswego State opened the final set with a quick 5-1 advantage before Plattsburgh answered with four consecutive points to even the score at 6-6. A kill from White capped another scoring stretch and briefly put the Cardinals ahead 9-7, but the Lakers responded to regain an 11-9 lead. The teams continued to trade points, with a kill from
Jahnia Venson (Troy, N.Y./Lansingburgh) tying the score at 13-13. Oswego State claimed the final two points, taking the set 15-13 to secure the 3-2 match victory.
With the loss, Plattsburgh State drops to 11-13 overall and 2-4 in SUNYAC play. The Cardinals will be back in action tomorrow, Oct. 31, traveling to Morrisville for a 1 p.m. match.
