Plattsburgh, NY - The Alfred State women's volleyball team turned in a dominant performance Saturday afternoon, sweeping Plattsburgh State in straight sets, 25-16, 25-21, 25-17, in SUNYAC action. The victory improved the Pioneers to 13-9 overall and 3-2 in conference play.
Alfred State controlled the match from the outset, posting a .216 hitting percentage while recording 40 kills, 39 assists, 57 digs, eight service aces, and six total blocks. The Pioneers' defense consistently disrupted the Cardinals' attack, limiting the home team to a .105 hitting percentage.
Leading the offensive charge was
Alayna Tomlinson, who delivered a match-high 17 kills while adding 17 digs for a double-double.
Gloria Stem also produced a strong all-around performance with 13 kills and 13 digs as Alfred State's attack proved too much for Cardinals to handle.
Setter
Isabel Carew orchestrated the offense with 29 assists while contributing two service aces and nine digs.
Ava Wickes added eight assists and sparked several pivotal runs from the service line, finishing with a team-high four aces.
The Pioneers took command of the opening set behind eight kills from Tomlinson and used a late 9-2 run to pull away for a 25-16 victory. Alfred State finished the frame hitting .297 while holding the Cardinals to just .128.
Set two proved more competitive as Plattsburgh battled back from an early deficit to tie the score at 18-18. Alfred State responded immediately, getting key points from Stem, Tomlinson, and the service game to score seven of the final 10 points and secure a 25-21 win for a two-set advantage.
The Cardinals stayed within striking distance early in the third set, but the Pioneers once again took over midway through the frame. Alfred State used a decisive 12-4 surge to build separation before closing the match on top, 25-17. The Pioneers hit .317 in the final set and recorded 17 kills to finish off the sweep.
Defensively,
Brianny Rodriguez anchored the net with five total blocks, while
Rebecca Jackson added five kills and two block assists.
Caley Larsen chipped in nine digs and an ace as Alfred State completed a balanced effort on both sides of the ball.
With the straight-set victory, Alfred State earned an important SUNYAC road win and continued its strong conference push heading into the final stretch of the regular season. The Pioneers will return home on October 30
th for a battle against the Roos of Canton. That match is their Dig Pink game with a start time of 6 pm.
