Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton women's volleyball team fell in two hard fought matches Saturday in Canton, N.Y., dropping to St. Lawrence and SUNY Potsdam. 

The Spartans, now 6-6 on the season, were led across both matches by Sam Ford, who totaled 22 kills, followed by Jocelyn Ray with 14 kills. Alondra Rojas contributed 31 assists, 12 digs, and four service aces. Madison Sheehan added eight kills and three blocks. 
 
St. Lawrence 3, VTSU Castleton 1
Castleton came out firing in the opening set to keep St. Lawrence off balance. Ray led the offense with three kills, while Ford and Sheehan added two apiece to help the Spartans edge out a 25-22 victory. 
 
St. Lawrence evened the match in the second set, finishing with 16 kills and a .268 hitting percentage. Castleton held an early 6-4 lead after a kill from Ray and a service ace from Rojas, but the Saints responded with a 10-3 run to take the lead. The Spartans kept fighting on swings from Kaitlyn Chapman and Ford, but St. Lawrence held on for a 25-18 win. 
 
The third set was closely contested with Castleton keeping pace behind defensive stops from Sheehan and serving from Rojas. However, St. Lawrence hit .407 while limiting Castleton to just seven kills, pulling away for a late 25-20 win. 
 
The Spartans looked to extend the match in the fourth set, tallying 12 kills and staying close throughout. Chapman and Ray provided key scoring, while Nicolette Vaughn led the defense with 21 digs. Despite a late push, St. Lawrence closed out the match 25-19. 
 
SUNY Potsdam 3, VTSU Castleton 1
The Spartans kept things tight in the opening set, recording 12 kills, but Potsdam edged them out 28-26 in a back-and-forth battle. Ford led the attack with 10 kills, Ray added five, and Sheehan six. Rojas contributed 25 kills and 12 digs, while Vaughn had 20 digs defensively. 
 
Potsdam took control in the second set, holding Castleton to just five kills while hitting .189. The Spartans struggled to find consistency, with Potsdam putting pressure on the Spartans' back row. Despite strong efforts from Castleton to get on the board, the Bears' maintained a strong lead for a 25-11 win. 
 
Castleton bounced back in the third set, getting 12 kills and a .167 hitting percentage to take the set 25-21. Ford, Ray, and Chapman provided steady scoring at the net, with Vaughn chipping in key digs to keep rallies alive. The Spartans matched the Bears point for point before pulling ahead for the win. 
 
In the fourth set, Potsdam regained control, building an early lead with strong serving and polished defense. Castleton struggled offensively, finishing with six kills, while the Bears maintained pressure at the net. Despite solid plays from Vaughn and efforts from Ford and Rojas to generate some scoring opportunities, Castleton was unable to close the gap, and Potsdam closed out the match 25-13. 
 
What's Next
The Spartans return home to host the VTSU Johnson Badgers in a non-conference game at Glenbrook Gymnasium at 6 p.m.