CANTON, N.Y. – Following a split at Skidmore this past weekend, the Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team returned to action Wednesday evening, taking on St. Lawrence at Ronald T. Burkman Gymnasium. After a late push in the opening set brought the Cardinals within striking distance, the Saints pulled away to take the first frame before carrying that momentum into the next two sets, as Plattsburgh ultimately fell 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-16) on the road.
Senior outside hitter
Liya Girma (Sachse, Texas/Bishop Lynch) paced the Cardinal offense with 10 kills and added six digs, while sophomore setter
Emily O'Brien (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) set up the attack with 16 assists to go with seven digs. Sophomore libero
Elena Stavroulakis (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) had a solid performance on the back line, defending a career- and game-high 10 digs.
For the Saints, Araiza Acum Santos led all players with 13 kills, Vanessa Latam finished with a game-high 24 assists, and Audrey Bibbins led everyone with three blocks.
Overall, the match was close defensively as St. Lawrence held a slight edge in digs, 35-31. The Saints also held the statistical advantages in service aces, 11-6, and blocks, 5-2.
In the opening set, the Saints jumped out to an early 7-1 lead before the Cardinals stifled their momentum with three straight points, capped by a kill from senior opposite hitter
Darby Collyear (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall) to make it 7-4. St. Lawrence continued to hold onto a slight lead before a 3-0 run from Plattsburgh, featuring two kills from Girma, brought the Cardinals within one at 17-16. The Saints were able to cushion their lead before Plattsburgh tied it at 20-20, but a 5-0 run to end the set secured a 25-20 win for the Saints.
Both teams traded points early in the second set as a 3-0 burst from Plattsburgh put the Cardinals in front, 5-4. A 5-0 run from St. Lawrence allowed the Saints to take a 10-6 lead, which they never surrendered. While back-to-back kills from first-year middle blocker
Augustina White (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) and Collyear made the score 12-10, the Saints responded by pushing their lead to 15-10. Late in the set, Plattsburgh broke up a St. Lawrence run as a kill from Girma made the score 22-16, but the Cardinals eventually dropped the set, 25-16.
The third and final set saw St. Lawrence hold an early 12-6 lead following a kill from White. Halfway through the set, back-to-back kills from Girma and first-year middle blocker
Brooke Anderson (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) brought the score to 15-10, but the Cardinal offense couldn't make up the difference. Despite a late offensive push that made the score 24-16 as Anderson netted three service aces in a row, the Saints closed out the set on the next point, winning 25-16 to secure the 3-0 match victory.
With the loss, Plattsburgh State falls to 5-7 and will be back in action on Friday, Sept. 25, when they host Fisher at 6 p.m. in the opening match of their weekend home tournament.
