Volleyball Goes 0-2 Over the Weekend

COURTESY PHOTO OF PSU ATHLETICS

The Plymouth State volleyball team went to Wellesley College over the weekend to play in a double header with SUNY Geneseo and Wellesley. Not the outcome they wanted, they move to 8-16 for the season, now on a five-game losing streak. In the last month they’ve played 12 games, going 1-11.

The first set was back and forth against Geneseo, tying and taking lead. The Panthers were able to pull ahead in the beginning by a small lead of two, after a kill from Jill Tiner (Salem NH). The Knights gained three points in a row, bringing it to 20-18 but after a kill from Francie Shaffer (Frederick CO) and an error by Geneseo, PSU shorten it to one. Each team grabbed point by point for a while until it was 26-25 and the Knights exploded with the three straight points giving them this long-fought battle to them. The next set has a similar tune, going back and forth in the beginning. Half way through, PSU lit a fire and got the next six points to gain control and secure the 25-18 win after the final kill from Ari Linden (Lena IL). Being 1-1 in the game overall, the next set started like all the other, except for a small lead the Knights had. Shaffer planted another kill bringing them within three but Geneseo ran away with it, getting the win. Needing this win, PSU was fired up including junior Allie Rogers (Sandown NH) that made a save off the floor. PSU kept with a point or two during the entire match-up but once again, the opponents had themselves a six-point stretch putting them ahead. Rogers brought them within three, but they were held off for the rest of the time and lost the game, 3-1.

The second game against Wellesley wasn’t as competitive as the last. Plymouth couldn’t get above 15 in all three sets and suffered this loss as well. Right from the beginning set, Wellesley pushed out ahead with an 11-1 lead. Shaffer responded with a kill that changed the mood for a second until Wellesley gained back control and ended the set early at 25-10. Panthers were more responsive the next set, taking advantage of their opponent’s errors and coming with four points early on. It was short lived as Wellesley gained back control getting the score to 21-14. The next five points were Wellesley’s and gave them the second set. Entering the third set, it was a bit of back and forth in the beginning, finding themselves tied at nine. But Wellesley found themselves at the end of an 8-1 of points being scored and finished off the day giving PSU their second loss of the day. 

“Some of the things that my team and I still need to work on are finding motivation to push ourselves whether we are winning or losing” Shaffer commented about things her and her team need to improve on. With only six games left in the season, there is still a lot of work that can be put in. “In the past few weeks, we often found ourselves struggling to find that drive within to come back after losing multiple points to the opposing team, and this would end up costing us the game… we just needed more energy and motivation to push through the ruts… I really believe that we can turn our season around.”

The team will travel to Eastern Connecticut today, game starting at 6 p.m. They’ll turn around and travel to Smith on Saturday for yet another double header. Games at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.