PLYMOUTH, N.H. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's volleyball team won the opening set, but was unable to suppress a comeback from host Plymouth State University, which won three straight frames for a 3-1 (23-25, 25-8, 25-23, 26-24) victory this morning at Foley Gymnasium in Plymouth, N.H.
The Lyons slip to 2-6 on the season, while the Panthers remain perfect at 7-0.
Wheaton was clicking with its hitting to open the match with a .433 clip in the opening set, but was unable to get anything going in the second frame and struggled with a -.444 hitting mark. The Lyons finished the match with a .076 hitting percentage, while Plymouth State hit .167 or better in every set to finish the day at .233. The Panthers were strong at the net defensively with an 11-5 blocking advantage.
Junior outside hitter Sydney Lyon (Weston, Conn.) registered match highs of 12 kills and three aces to go with 12 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. Junior middle hitter Julia Wingler (Fuquay Varina, N.C.) was very efficient with a .333 hitting percentage to back a nine-kill effort in addition to a block assist. Sophomore setter Ajsa Orbán (Budapest, Hungary) directed the offense with a match-high 24 assists and fired three aces.
Graduate student middle hitter Nora Ryan (Groton, Conn.) led Plymouth State with 11 kills and committed just two attack errors for a .409 hitting rate to go with six total blocks and a pair of aces. Sophomore outside hitter Emma Hampton (Durham, N.H.) swung for eight kills and hit .273, while picking up six digs and senior outside hitter Lili Stogner (Weare, N.H.) got down for 10 digs, put down seven kills, fired two aces and recorded three total blocks.
Wheaton never trailed in the first frame, taking an early 6-3 lead capped by a kill from junior middle hitter Hollis Hanson (Parker, Colo.). The Panthers answered with three straight points, including a kill and an ace from Ryan to knot the count at 6-6. It was as close as Plymouth State would get for the rest of the set. The Lyons put together a 9-2 run, including a trio of kills from Lyon to take a 15-8 advantage and later maintained a 19-12 lead. Wheaton looked like it would cruise to an opening-set win with a 22-16 margin, but the Panthers clawed back with a 7-2 burst, capped by back-to-back kills from Ryan to pull within 24-23. Sophomore right side hitter Mary Caroline Mazzanti (New Orleans, La.) put down the final point to give the visitors the set at 25-23.
The Lyons were unable to get on track in the second set, committing 15 attack errors to account for the majority of Plymouth State's points in a 25-8 win for the home squad. The Panthers established a dominant 18-2 lead, including a pair of kills from Hampton. Stogner put down the final kill to pull Plymouth State even in the match at 1-1.
Wheaton maintained a lead for about 40% of the third set from the opening serve and owned an 11-9 margin. The Panthers reeled off five unanswered points to take a 14-11 lead and never trailed after that. Lyon cut the deficit to just one with a kill for the Lyons at 19-18, before Plymouth State scored five of the next six points to put them one point away from victory at 24-19. Wheaton fought back with four straight points capped by a kill from first year outside hitter Katie de la Pena (Castle Rock, Colo.) to give the Lyons a chance at 24-23, but a service error gave the Panthers the set and a 2-1 match lead.
Wheaton took an early 6-3 margin in the fourth frame, before a 5-1 stretch from the Panthers gave them an 8-7 edge. The Lyons reversed the momentum and reclaimed the lead at 13-11, but Plymouth State countered with six straight points, including a pair of aces and a kill from Stogner, to take a 17-13 lead. The Panthers later increased their lead to 20-15 and looked like they were on their way to a match win, but Wheaton ripped off nine of the next 10 points, including eight in a row, to take a 24-21 lead after a kill from Wingler. The Lyons sat on match point, but Plymouth State continued to deny them, while scoring five unanswered points, including a kill from Stogner to give the home team a 26-24 set win and a 3-1 match triumph. The set was the third decided by two points for the day.
