Canton, NY – The SUNY Canton women's volleyball team battled to the end but dropped a pair of thrilling five set matches to visiting Plattsburgh State and Wells College on the second day of the North Country Classic on Saturday at SUNY Canton. Cadin Taggart led the Roos with 24 kills on the day, while Sarah Balcom added 17 kills and 13 blocks.

THE BASICS

• Result:  Match 1: Plattsburgh State 3, SUNY Canton 2 | Match 2: Wells 3, SUNY Canton 2
• Location: Roos House – Canton, NY
• Records: SUNY Canton (2-9) | Plattsburgh State (6-2) | Wells (4-7)

HOW IT HAPPENED
 
MATCH 1 - BOX SCORE

• The visitors got out to a quick start in the opening set leading 9-1, but an 8-3 run got the Roos within 12-9 midway through the set. That was as close as Canton would get as the Cardinals pulled away for a 25-17 win.
• The second stanza was back-and-forth but the hosts used a key 8-1 stretch to turn a 15-15 tie into a 23-16 lead. The Roos benefitted from several Plattsburgh miscues, while also receiving kills from Cadin Taggart, Bria Hunter and Sammie Frank in the spurt. The Roos took the second set 25-18.
• A 9-0 run in the third set turned a two point Cardinal deficit into a seven point lead as they cruised to a 25-15 win.
• Canton showed its resiliency in the fourth set getting out to an early 12-7 lead behind three kills from Sarah Balcom and two from Taggart. The Cardinals got within two points on several occasions but Taggart closed out the set with two kills over the final four points of the frame.
• The fifth and decisive frame saw the Roos roar out to a 7-1 lead behind two kills from Emily Dreyer and three aces from Kaylee Clark. Balcom added a pair of kills and Taggart provided a kill to extend the lead to 10-3. Plattsburgh floored five of the next six points to get within 11-8 but Canton still led 14-9 after a block from Hunter and Balcom, an ace from Balcom and a kill from Cassidy Werner. From there it was all Cardinals as they scored seven consecutive points to take the set and match, 16-14.
• Balcom and Taggart led the Canton attack with 10 kills each, while Balcom added five blocks. Werner chipped in six kills and Hunter added five. Clark tied match-highs with 22 digs and four aces, while Frank finished with 23 assists and 16 digs.
• For Plattsburgh Liya Girma posted 18 kills and 12 digs and Jeannette Ashong added 11 kills. Sanaia Estime provided 22 digs defensively.

 
 
MATCH 2 - BOX SCORE

• The second match of the day was another thriller going the distance. The Roos got off to a strong start taking the first and second sets by matching scores of 25-20.
• With the teams tied at 10-10 in the opening set Canton scored eight of the next 11 points on their way to the win. The second stanza saw the Express lead 6-0 and 13-5 early before the Roos mounted a comeback to take a 16-15 advantage. Canton opened a 21-17 lead and pulled away late to open up a two to none sets lead.
• Wells responded taking the third and fourth sets, 25-20 and 25-18, respectively. The Roos once again got out to an early lead in the fifth set leading 4-1 after kills from Werner and Frank. After a Brooke Hite kill, the Express scored four straight but the Roos took an 8-7 lead at the crossover after two kills from Frank and a block from Frank and Balcom.
• The Express floored six of the next eight points to lead 11-9. Trailing 13-10 Frank and Taggart struck for back-to-back kills. Wells ultimately closed out the match as Lexi Carfi posted two kills over the final three points for the 15-13 victory.
• Taggart led the Roos with 14 kills, while Frank stuffed the stat sheet with a triple-double of 28 assists, 15 digs and 12 kills hitting a remarkable .458 (12-1-24). Balcom chipped in seven kills and was a force at net with eight block assists. Werner added six kills and Clark (20) and Sarah Towles (15) combined for 35 digs.
• Miah Williamson paced the Express attack with 18 kills, while Carfi added nine and Elise Peacock and Alycia Wilson registered eight apiece.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Roos are back in action next Friday when they square off in the SLU Triad at St. Lawrence. SUNY Canton plays Bard at 6 p.m. followed by St. Lawrence at 8 p.m.
   
About SUNY Canton
As Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs, SUNY Canton delivers quality hands-on programs in digital design, engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 23 online degree programs. The college placed first in 14 categories in a SUNY-Wide Student Opinion Survey, most notably in career services, tutoring, library resources, and classroom facilities. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity esports and cheerleading.