PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team returned home on Friday night, opening its home tournament with a match against Fisher. Despite back-and-forth play in the first and third sets, the Cardinals' offense came through late in both sets to close them out and earn a 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-21) sweep over the Falcons.
Senior outside hitter
Liya Girma (Sachse, Texas/Bishop Lynch) added another double-double to her season total, tying for a game-high with 11 kills while recording 10 digs. Sophomore setter
Emily O'Brien (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) paced the offense with a game-high 27 assists to go with eight kills. At the same time, senior outside hitter
Iris Mulvey (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) also added eight kills. Defensively, senior libero
KC Burke (Murrieta, Calif./Northfield Mount Hermon [Mass.]) defended 10 digs, while senior opposite hitter
Darby Collyear (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall), along with first-year middle blockers
Brooke Anderson (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) and
Augustina White (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy), all recorded three blocks.
For the Falcons, Alondra Farinacci set up the offense with 23 assists, Sofia Campos led the defense with a game-high 12 digs, and Anna Alongi led the team with 11 kills.
The Cardinals dominated up front with a 7-1 edge in blocks and also held the advantage in service aces, 13-5, while the dig battle remained close, with Plattsburgh holding a 49-45 edge.
The first set was as back-and-forth as it gets, with both teams trading the lead early as a kill by Girma tied the score at 10-10. Following a quick scoring burst, Fisher took a 16-13 lead before Plattsburgh used a 7-0 rally, sparked by an O'Brien kill and capped by a kill from White, to take a 22-18 lead. The Falcons responded with a late push, but back-to-back kills from Mulvey closed out the set, 25-21.
Both teams kept it close to begin the second set as well until two kills from Collyear during a 5-0 run by Plattsburgh put the Cardinals in front, 15-12. Fisher came within one, but the Cardinals continued to add to their lead as back-to-back service aces made the score 23-16. Plattsburgh went on to take the set, 25-17.
Halfway through the third and final set, Fisher was in control as Plattsburgh trailed 15-12 following back-to-back kills from O'Brien and Girma. It wasn't until late in the set that the Cardinals used a 4-0 burst, ending with an O'Brien block, to take a 21-20 lead. While the Falcons tied it at 21-21, Plattsburgh closed out the set by scoring the next four points to take the set, 25-21, and secure the 3-0 match victory.
With the win, Plattsburgh State rises to 6-7 overall and will be back in action tomorrow, Sept. 26, with matches against Vermont State University (VTSU) Johnson and Paul Smith's at 1 and 5 p.m.
