SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – The Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) volleyball team rallied from a four-point deficit to go on a 6-0 run and take not only the third set, but also match victory in a 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 26-24) win over Mount Holyoke College in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) season finale for both teams.
With the victory, the Engineers finish at 12-19 overall and 2-8 in conference play, while the Lyons post a 4-22 mark, going 1-9 in the NEWMAC.
Mount Holyoke came out dominant in the third set of action and led by an 15-11 margin at one point behind a kill from senior defensive specialist Kaleen Iwema (Wadsworth, Ill./Warren Township), but WPI battled back and made it an 18-18 game on a strike from sophomore middle hitter Kenzie Whalen (Hollis, N.H./Hollis-Brookline).
The Lyons were able to regain the advantage and capitalized on numerous errors by the visitors, along with kills from Iwema and senior middle hitter Rebecca Bland (Durham, N.C./Carolina Friends School) to take a 24-20 lead. Despite needing just one point for the set win, the Lyons saw it slip away as a kill from first year outside hitter Melissa Daigle (Norfolk, Mass./King Phillip Regional) started a 6-0 run that sealed the set and match win.
WPI opened the contest on a 9-0 run, which included three service aces from sophomore Cassandra Tomerlin (La Quinta, Calif./Shadow Hills). MHC closed the gap to 18-14 on a kill from first year outside hitter Katrina Meserve (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth), but a pair of kills from Daigle, along with several errors gave the Engineers the opening set win.
In the second set, the Engineers once again opened up a wide margin, taking a 10-4 lead on an MHC attacking error. A pair of kills from Iwema tied the set at 11-all and MHC went on to take a 16-14 lead on a kill from junior outside hitter Emma Sweeting (Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y./Hastings).
Despite the advantage, the Lyons could not hold off the visitors, who rallied behind kills from Daigle and junior middle hitter Adrienne Weishaar (Chester, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) for the middle set win.
For WPI, Daigle recorded a match-best 13 kills, adding a team-high 12 digs. Tomerlin added 10 kills, five service aces and seven digs, while sophomore setter Shay Feeley (Franklin, Mass./Franklin) had a match-high 26 assists.
Mount Holyoke saw Sweeting finish with 12 kills and 11 digs. Iwema added seven kills and 12 digs, while sophomore setter Natalie Lyon (Oakton, Va./Flint Hill School) had nine assists and a match-best 14 digs.
The Lyons also honored their four seniors in a pre-game ceremony for all their contributions to the volleyball program. Honored were Iwema, Bland, defensive specialist Susie Gardiner (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y./Croton Harmon) and setter Stephany Yang (Glen Allen, Va./Henrico).
