CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton women's volleyball team split a pair of highly contested matches Saturday, edging Plattsburgh State in a five set thriller before falling to Fisher College in another intense five set battle.
The Spartans, now 6-3 on the season, were led by Sam Ford who recorded a combined 38 kills on the day. Brianna Walsh added 19 total kills and 11 aces, while Alondra Rojas had an all around star performance with 34 assists, 20 digs, 12 aces, and 13 kills across both matches. Defensively, Nicolette Vaughn anchored the back row with 50 total digs, playing a key role in both matches.
VTSU Castleton 3, Plattsburgh 2
Castleton opened the day with a thrilling win over Plattsburgh, edging the Cardinals in a five set match (26-24, 17-25, 25-21, 16-25, 18-16). The opening set was tightly contested with both teams getting points early. Castleton's lead was found late in the set with strong hitting from Jocelyn Ray, Rojas, and Walsh. Walsh led with 11 kills, while Ray and Rojas had eight apiece. Rojas also contributed seven service aces.
Plattsburgh responded in the second set, limiting their errors. Despite a few strong service runs from Castleton, the Cardinals were able to take control halfway through and close out a 25-17 win to even the match. Set three saw the Spartans regain their momentum. A strong offense led by Ray with multiple kills, and continued pressure from the service line allowed Castleton to hold off a late Plattsburgh push with a 25-21 victory.
Plattsburgh had a strong presence in the fourth set capitalizing on Castleton errors and holding them to their lowest hitting percentage of the night to force a fifth set. The final frame was a back and forth battle from start to finish. Castleton built a small lead early, behind timely kills from Walsh and Rojas, but Plattsburgh continued to apply pressure. With the score tied at 16-16, Castleton was able to win two straight points to seal the match, 18-16.
Fisher 3, VTSU Castleton 2
The Spartans came out sharp in set one and two, using tactical precision and power. Ford led the attack with 22 kills, while Ray added nine, and Rojas chipped in five. The Spartans served strongly with Walsh knocking down eight aces and Rojas adding seven of her own.
Despite the strong start, Castleton began to lose traction once Fisher was able to find a rhythm, led by Jeiris Velez, who had 17 kills, and Kayla Arnold and Natalia Ramirez who each contributed 12 kills. In the third set, Fisher began closing the gaps. Some errors allowed Fisher to edge out a close win. The fifth set turned into a battle of wills. Vaughn anchored the defense with 28 digs, while Delia Roulston and Rojas added 11 and 12 digs, respectively. Ford stood with kills at key moments, but it wasn't enough as the Spartans fell 18-16. The Spartans earned a team-high 52 kills, 15 service aces, and 82 digs across five sets.
What's Next
The Spartans head to Clarkson University on Friday, Sept. 19 at 6 PM to take on the Knights in a non conference matchup.
