PLATTSUBRGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team entered Saturday afternoon's match needing a win to clinch a spot in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament, and the Cardinals delivered, earning the No. 8 seed on the final day of the regular season. After battling Canton in a five-set matchup last season, Plattsburgh came out on top this time, besting the Kangaroos 3-1 (25-22, 11-25, 27-25, 25-17) on Saturday afternoon.
Before the start of the match, the Cardinals celebrated their four seniors:
KC Burke (Murrieta, Calif./Northfield Mount Hermon [Mass.]),
Liya Girma (Sachse, Texas/Bishop Lynch),
Darby Collyear (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall) and
Iris Mulvey (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood).
On Senior Day, the seniors led the way, with Collyear
posting a career-
and game-high 14 kills alongside nine digs to go with game-highs of five service aces and five blocks. Her all-around performance helped Plattsburgh finish with eight service aces and a 9-4 advantage in blocks. Girma also smashed down 14 kills and added 11 digs for a double-double. First-year middle blocker
Augustina White (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) chipped in a career-high nine kills and tied for the game-high with five blocks, while Burke led the back row with 14 digs. Sophomore setter
Emily O'Brien (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) kept the offense rolling with a game-high 36 assists.
For the Kangaroos, Olivia Tran led all players with a game-high 20 digs to help Canton hold a 53-50 edge in the category. Emerson Coulter finished with 11 kills, set up by Kaelyn Boliver, who recorded 17 assists.
The opening set featured a back-and-forth battle, as neither team could pull away early. A quick 4-0 burst capped by a Collyear service ace put the Cardinals ahead 7-4. Plattsburgh continued to build momentum with a 6-0 surge, featuring two Collyear kills, to extend its advantage to 16-10. Canton picked up points sporadically down the stretch, but kills from White and Collyear helped close out the set, 25-22.
Canton controlled the second set, jumping out to a 10-2 lead before a 3-0 burst, capped by a Girma service ace, cut the deficit to 10-5. The Cardinals continued to battle, with a Girma kill making the score 19-9. However, Plattsburgh was unable to keep pace with the Canton offense and ultimately fell 25-11.
The Cardinals showed resilience in the third set after Canton opened with a 6-0 lead. Plattsburgh clawed its way back, pulling within one at 14-13 following kills from White, Collyear and
Elena Stavroulakis (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore). The Cardinals later evened the score at 17-17 before the teams traded points, reaching a 22-22 deadlock late in the set. Back-to-back kills from White and Collyear put Plattsburgh ahead 24-22, but Canton continued to respond. After another White kill gave the Cardinals a 26-25 lead, Plattsburgh came through with the next point to take the set, 27-25, and move within one set of the match victory.
Plattsburgh carried that momentum into the fourth and final set, jumping out to a 9-3 lead after Girma smashed down a kill off an assist from O'Brien. Canton battled back to take an 11-10 advantage, but the Cardinals answered with a 3-0 burst sparked by a White kill to go ahead 14-12. The Kangaroos tied the score at 15-15, looking to force a deciding set, but Plattsburgh's offense continued to pour it on. A 6-0 rally led by Collyear, who contributed two points during the stretch, pushed the Cardinals ahead 24-16. After a Plattsburgh error briefly interrupted the run, O'Brien sealed the set with the match-winning kill, giving the Cardinals a 25-17 win and securing the 3-1 victory.
With the win, Plattsburgh State finishes the regular season with a 13-14 overall record, the team's best since the 2016 season, and a 4-5 mark in conference play, its best since 2013. The Cardinals now turn their attention to the SUNYAC Tournament, traveling to Alfred State for a first-round matchup on Tuesday, Nov. 10. The appearance marks Plattsburgh's first conference tournament berth since 2023.
