PLYMOUTH – Tuesday, October 3 at 6 p.m. began a four game Little East Conference match up between Plymouth State University and Keene State College at Foley Gymnasium. The Panthers managed a four game sweep over the Owls bringing the Owls’ five match winning streak to a halt while improving a three-match losing streak for PSU. The rivals are now tied with Keene in second place for the LEC with 3-2 records.
From the very beginning of the first match, there was tension in the air. The Panthers were able to score their first point just moments into the match. Sophomore Sarah Spears along with sophomore Wendy Dziedzic helped set up for a spike by junior Kimmy Tobyne for Plymouth’s second point. But it wasn’t long before the Owls were able to catch up and tie the game 2-2.
Both teams had to fight to keep themselves ahead of their opponent. The Panthers stepped up their game by making dives and running out-of-bounds to keep the ball in play as often as they had to.
Keene showed their uncertainty when sophomore Sarah Peterson held back on a save, giving the Panthers a 16-14 lead. The Panthers kept on top of their rivals as the Owls made several attempts to spike for a few points. Sophomore Kaitlyn Collins blocked several attempts by Owls freshman Mia Silverstri.
By the end of the first match, Plymouth State came back from being four points behind, with the final score at 25-30.
Keene State was the first to score in the second match but quickly fell behind the Panthers with several out-of-bound hits. PSU showed their teamwork when Spears went for a dig and lost control of the ball but sophomore Regan Bowlen came to the rescue to complete the save.
Owls’ sophomore Sarah Peterson gave the Panthers three points halfway though the match when she was unable to make a save for her team. The Panthers continued to play tough, unafraid to do whatever it took to win. Spears helped her team catch up on the Owls lead by making a one-handed save as her team set up the ball for Bowlen to score for the Panthers, bringing the score to 17-21.
The Owls kept the ball close to the net, making it difficult to score, but freshman Eliza Badeau was able to spike past the Owls to bring the score to 18-22. Bowlen kept the Owls on their toes with several kills and brought the score to 22-23.
The Panthers finished the match with a 31-29 lead over the Owls.
By the third match, the tension was thick, and the Panthers were ready to defend their two game lead over the Owls.
Plymouth proved early on that they would give Keene a fight for the match when they scored their first three points within a few minutes of the start of the match. The Owls were able to get a few points in, but the Panthers held an early lead with a 4-3 score.
Peterson was quick to go after the ball for the Owls, but her efforts gave Plymouth out-of-bounds points for a 5-4 lead. Bowlen took this opportunity for another kill against the Owls, bringing the score to 6-5.
By the end of the match the Panthers and the Owls were tied 30-30. The Owls were able to advance to their 31st point after the ball hit the pole just in-bounds. The Owls then were able to gain another point and win 32-30. The final scores were announced and each team was beginning to rest when Spears and Owls Kirsten Willoughby spoke with the referee and were able to convince him to award a do-over of the last two points because the Owls 31st point was hit on the out-of-bounds post and therefore was not a valid point.
The two tired teams returned to the court with Panthers fans showing their pride. With a 30-30 tie on the board, freshman Eliza Badeau pulled off the last two deciding points for the Panthers with a final score of 32-30.
The Panthers defended their three game win over the Owls in the fourth match with a final score of 31-29.
The Panthers will travel to Springfield on Saturday, October 7 for the Tom Hay Invitational at 9:00 a.m.