MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – The eight-seeded Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team is set to travel to fourth-seeded Morrisville for a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament Second Round matchup at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12, at STUAC Gymnasium. The Cardinals earned their first postseason victory since 2013 on Tuesday, Nov. 10, defeating Alfred State 3-1 (25-21, 27-25, 22-25, 25-18) in the first round. Plattsburgh will look to carry that momentum into Thursday's matchup as it continues its quest for the first SUNYAC title in program history.
TICKET INFORMATION: General admission tickets are $5, while tickets for children ages 5-12 are $3. SUNYAC students with valid identification will receive free admission. Tickets will go on sale at the door beginning one hour before the match at 5:00 p.m. There are no advance ticket sales, and cash is the only accepted form of payment.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP: The Cardinals and Morrisville have met seven times since their first matchup on Oct. 12, 2007, with Morrisville holding a 4-3 advantage in the all-time series. Plattsburgh is 1-2 on the road against the Mustangs. The teams most recently met on Saturday, Oct. 31, when Morrisville claimed a 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 26-24) victory at home. Isabelle Eskierka led the way for the Mustangs with 19 kills and two blocks, while
Liya Girma paced Plattsburgh with 10 kills and seven digs.
INSIDE THE NEST: The Cardinals enter Thursday's matchup looking to carry their postseason momentum forward after earning their first playoff victory since 2013 with a 3-1 (25-21, 27-25, 22-25, 25-18) win over Alfred State in the first round. Senior opposite hitter
Darby Collyear (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall) paced Plattsburgh with a double-double, finishing with 11 kills, 13 digs, and five blocks. The Cardinals will look to build on that performance while seeking to avenge their regular-season loss to Morrisville, a match that was much closer than the 3-0 (22-25, 19-25, 24-26) final score indicated.
Plattsburgh has built a balanced offensive attack this season, combining strong outside hitting with consistent production through the middle. As a team, the Cardinals average 14.70 points per set and 10.72 kills per set, ranking fifth in the conference in points per set. The offense is also supported by a productive setting game, as Plattsburgh has totaled 901 assists while averaging 9.59 per set.
Powering the Plattsburgh offense are senior outside hitter
Liya Girma (Sachse, Texas/Bishop Lynch) and Collyear, who rank first and second on the team in kills, respectively. Girma, an All-SUNYAC Third Team selection last season, paces the Cardinals with 282 kills after recording 10 in the first-round victory over Alfred State. She averages 3.00 kills per set for the season. Collyear provides another scoring threat from the right side, recording 190 kills while averaging 2.04 per set. Together, the senior duo gives Plattsburgh two consistent scoring options and helps keep the offense balanced across the court.
Providing additional production through the middle are first-year middle blockers
Brooke Anderson (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) and
Augustina White (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy), who have made an immediate impact in their first collegiate seasons. Anderson ranks fourth on the squad with 138 kills, followed by White with 117. Their contributions give the Cardinals another dimension offensively, requiring opposing defenses to account for multiple attacking options across the front row.
Sophomore setter
Emily O'Brien (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) orchestrates the Cardinal attack, distributing the ball and creating opportunities for hitters across the court. O'Brien has recorded 716 assists this season, ranking second in the conference, while averaging 7.62 per set, the third-highest mark in the league. Her ability to spread the ball around and keep multiple hitters involved will be an important part of Plattsburgh's postseason push.
Defensively, the Cardinals have been equally productive, averaging 14.65 digs per set to rank fourth in the conference while totaling 1,377 on the season. Plattsburgh has also established a presence at the net, recording 127 total blocks and averaging 1.35 per set.
Senior libero
KC Burke (Murrieta, Calif./Northfield Mount Hermon [Mass.]) anchors the back row, leading the Cardinals with 326 digs and ranking third in the conference in total digs while averaging 3.62 per set. Girma has also been a consistent two-way presence, collecting 281 digs and averaging 2.99 per set. Collyear has contributed 207 digs, while O'Brien has added 203, giving Plattsburgh additional defensive support from several of its leading offensive players.
At the net, White leads the Cardinals with 64 total blocks, including 47 block assists and 17 solo blocks, ranking fifth in the conference. White made her presence felt in the first-round matchup against Alfred State, recording four blocks as Plattsburgh finished with a dominant 11-3 advantage in the category. Anderson follows with 42 total blocks (34 block assists, eight solo blocks), while Collyear ranks third on the team with 41 (33 block assists, eight solo blocks). Their contributions give Plattsburgh multiple options to challenge opposing hitters and disrupt attacks at the net.
Plattsburgh's versatility also extends to the service line and serve-receive, where the Cardinals have consistently created opportunities to put pressure on opposing teams. Girma leads the squad with 59 service aces, ranking second in the conference, while Collyear has added 42. As a team, Plattsburgh has recorded 248 service aces and averages 2.64 per set, ranking third in the conference in both categories. Girma also leads the Cardinals with 588 receptions, ranking fourth in the conference, followed by Burke with 470. Their consistency in serve-receive provides a steady foundation for the Cardinals' offense.
Third-year head coach
Eimile O'Brien earned her first postseason victory in her first SUNYAC Tournament appearance as the Cardinals defeated Alfred State in the opening round. The win also brought Plattsburgh to 14 victories, matching the program's win total from the 2016 season. O'Brien and the Cardinals will now look to build on that milestone as they continue their postseason run against Morrisville, with a spot in the SUNYAC semifinals on the line.
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS: Leading the way offensively for Morrisville is junior outside hitter Isabelle Eskierka, who leads the conference with 446 kills while averaging 4.90 per set. As a team, the Mustangs average 11.53 kills per set, ranking third in the conference. First-year outside hitter Alexa Warner ranks second on the squad with 242 kills, averaging 2.47 per set, giving Morrisville another offensive option.
Junior setter Cassandra Bellmore directs the Mustangs' offense, leading the team with 429 assists while averaging 4.71 per set. Morrisville averages 10.30 assists per set as a team.
Defensively, junior middle hitter Samantha Siedlecki leads the Mustangs with 67 total blocks, including 51 block assists and 16 solo blocks, tying for third in the conference. Morrisville averages 1.42 blocks per set as a team and ranks second in total blocks. Junior defensive specialist Kylie Hutchinson leads the back row with 444 digs, averaging 4.40 per set, which ranks first in the conference.
At the service line, sophomore right side Keely Shearer leads the squad with 52 service aces, tied for third in the conference. Hutchinson also leads the team in serve-receive with 739 receptions, ranking first in the conference.
Morrisville is led by 13th-year head coach Fred Wallace, who has won conference championships in both the United East Conference and the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) but is still seeking his first SUNYAC championship. Wallace guided the Mustangs to a first-round appearance last season and a semifinal appearance the year prior. Morrisville will look to make another postseason run as it pursues the first SUNYAC championship in program history.
THE ROAD AHEAD: The winner of the Morrisville-Plattsburgh State matchup will face top-seeded Buffalo State in the semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m. The winner of the Cortland-Fredonia matchup will take on second-seeded Oneonta at 3 p.m. that afternoon.
Buffalo State secured the top seed after finishing the regular season with a 14-11 overall record and an 8-1 conference mark, earning the right to host both the semifinal and championship matches.
