PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Despite a three-set loss, the Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team battled throughout, falling 25-23, 25-23, 25-21 on Friday evening in the opening match of the Cardinal Classic in Memorial Hall.
The Cardinals were led offensively by senior opposite hitter
Darby Collyear (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall) with eight kills. Senior outside hitters
Iris Mulvey (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) and
Liya Girma (Sachse, Texas/Bishop Lynch) added seven and six kills, respectively. Sophomore setter
Emily O'Brien (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) set up the Cardinal attack with a game-high 25 assists. Up top, first-year
Brooke Anderson (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) stuffed two blocks.
For the Gators, Paige Kemmer and Emily Trama paced the team with 11 kills each, while Cassidy Weiher set up the offense with 21 assists. Emma Curry finished with a game-high 14 digs, and Marianna Alcarcon added two blocks.
Overall, the Gators just outpaced the Cardinals in digs, 40-35, while Russell Sage collected three blocks to Plattsburgh's two. The Gators also held a 13-7 edge in service aces.
The first set was a back-and-forth affair as Plattsburgh built a 9-4 lead after three straight kills from Mulvey. However, Russell Sage responded with three consecutive points, tying the set at 12-12. The Cardinals broke the deadlock with kills from Girma and Mulvey, but the Gators finally took their first lead thanks to a 9-0 rally that made the score 22-15. Plattsburgh battled back with a 5-0 surge capped by a kill from Collyear to come within one, but Russell Sage held on for a 25-23 set win.
The second set saw more of the same from the nearly evenly matched teams, as Russell Sage led for most of the frame before Plattsburgh used a 6-0 burst capped by a Mulvey kill to take a 17-15 advantage. The two teams continued to trade points until Russell Sage took the lead for good at 21-20, and the Cardinals fell once again, 25-23.
While Russell Sage held the advantage early in the final set, Plattsburgh used a 3-0 run, ending with a Girma service ace, to come within one at 9-8. A 4-0 rally late in the set brought the Cardinals within three at 24-21, but Russell Sage closed out the frame, 25-21, to secure the match victory.
Plattsburgh drops to 0-2 overall on the young season and will be back in action tomorrow, Sept. 5, opening the final day of the Cardinal Classic with a match against Hartwick at 11 a.m. before concluding the day with a match against Potsdam at 5 p.m.
