SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – Eight different players recorded at least one kill to lead the Wheaton College volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-20) victory over Mount Holyoke College in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Saturday. With the win, Wheaton improves to 8-7 and remains perfect in conference play with a 3-0 record. The homestanding Lyons slip to 2-12 on the season and 0-5 in the NEWMAC.
Wheaton saw middle hitter Sarah Alexander (Wayne, Pa./Conestoga), outside hitter Arieanne Creighton (Brookline, N.H./Hollis Brookline) and outside hitter Deirdre Wilson (Aptos, Calif./Aptos) all post a team-best seven kills in the match. Setter Caitlin Hellebrand (Corona, Calif./Santiago) added a match-best 18 assists, while defensive specialist Stephanie Martin (Centerville, Mass./Barnstable) added a team-high seven digs.
For Mount Holyoke, outside hitter Emma Sweeting (Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y./Hastings) led all players with a match-best 11 kills, adding five digs, two block solos and one block assist on the day. Outside hitter Katrina Meserve (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) and middle hitter Rebecca Bland (Durham, N.C./Carolina Friends School) each added four kills, while setter Natalie Lyon (Oakton, Va./Flint Hill School) posted a team-best 17 assists and a match-high 10 digs.
Wheaton came out firing in the opening set, jumping out to a 10-6 lead behind a service error on Mount Holyoke. The two teams traded points for the next couple of plays, but the visiting Lyons took control at the 17-11 mark as Creighton laid down a kill. That play set up a run of eight straight points for Wheaton, including two more kills from Creighton.
In the second set, Wheaton was once again dominant, taking a 12-5 lead on another kill from Creighton. Sweeting laid down a strike of her own on the next play, but visitors went on a five-point run, aided by four errors on the Mount Holyoke side to lead 17-6. Another kill from Sweeting later closed the gap to 20-12, but errors continued to plague MHC as it committed four more to give Wheaton the edge.
The final set saw Mount Holyoke battle back from a 20-14 deficit to close the gap to 23-20. Kills by Sweeting and Bland aided the rally, as did several Wheaton errors, but the visitors sealed the victory down the stretch as a kill by junior outside hitter Taylor Matook (Exeter, R.I./Exeter-West Greenwich) and an attacking error by Mount Holyoke closed out the match.
Mount Holyoke returns to the court on Tuesday, traveling East for a NEWMAC showdown against Wellesley at 7pm. Wheaton is also in action on Tuesday, hoping to remain perfect in conference play as they host NEWMAC-rival, Springfield at 7pm.
Follow Lyons Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Photo courtesy of RJB Sports Photography.
