Purchase, NY (Sept. 13, 2016) – The Purchase College women's volleyball squad showed its mettle in the team's home opener Tuesday night, playing a competitive match against non-conference local rival Lehman.

The Panthers, who were without recent Vassar All-Tournament selection Kaitlyn Pillig (SO/Mamaroneck, NY), put up a strong showing, despite a 3-0 loss to the Lightning. The Panthers (0-6) climbed within 14-11 in the first set before dropping game one 25-17. Purchase rallied late in the second set, but fell 25-16. In the third set, Lehman trailed 7-5 and 12-10, but put together a rally of their own to win 25-19, fending off feisty Purchase.

The final set was highlighted by the play of captain Cynthia Plackis (JR/Huntington, NY), who had two aces during a late comeback effort. Plackis added one assist and three digs on the night.

With a large home crowd in attendance, Purchase flashed its best hitting percentage in the final game. Starters Daja Medina (FR/Brewster, NY), Maura Gribbins (SO/Buffalo, NY), Isis Gonzalez (FR/New York, NY), Victoria Blum (SR/Bronx, NY), Kayla O'Connell (FR/Yonkers, NY) all performed well. Medina and Gonzalez paced the team with three kills, while O'Connell led the way with 10 digs defensively. Blum served up four assists.

Lehman, which improved to 3-3, was paced offensively by Salveira Gonzalez and her eight kills. Setter Samantha Delgado handed out a match-high 20 assists in the victory. Lehman's Lindsay Pantaleon anchored the defensive effort with 10 digs, sharing the match lead with Purchase's O'Connell.

The Panthers return to action Thursday at home, looking to rebound against non-conference opponent William Paterson. That match begins at 7 p.m.