SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – Powered by a match-best 16 kills from junior outside hitter Emma Sweeting, the Mount Holyoke College volleyball team battled back for a 3-1 (25-21, 25-23, 25-12, 25-12) victory over Elms College in non-conference action on Thursday evening. With the win, the Lyons improve to 3-19, while the Blazers are now 5-18.
Sweeting (Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y./Hastings) added 14 digs and two service aces in the contest, while senior defensive specialist Kaleen Iwema (Wadsworth, Ill./Warren Township) had nine kills and a team-best 26 digs. Sophomore setter Natalie Lyon (Oakton, Va./Flint Hill School) added a match-high 22 assists and 16 digs, while senior setter Stephany Yang (Glen Allen, Va./Henrico) had 11 assists and 17 digs.
For Elms, first year middle hitter Kate Moriarty (Agawam, Mass./Agawam) had a team-best six kills, while three others added five kills, including junior outside hitter Alexandra Mack (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Reg.), senior middle hitter Christine Searles (Tolland, Mass./Southwick-Tolland Regional) and first year defensive specialist Ashlee Connors (Springfield, Mass./SABIS International Charter). Senior libero Caitlyn Larvey (Greenfield, Mass./Greenfield) added a match-best 28 digs.
Mount Holyoke opened with a close win in the opening set that saw Elms tie it at 12-all on a bad set by the Lyons. MHC regained the advantage and never looked back as they built up six point lead (21-15) on a kill from Iwema. Mack and Moriarty both laid down kills to pull it to 21-18, but a pair of kills down the stretch from Sweeting gave the Lyons the 25-21 win.
Elms battled back in the second set, jumping out to a 6-3 lead following an error against the Lyons. MHC tried to pull back, but the Blazers held strong as a kill from Connors pushed the advantage to 12-10. It was a close back-and-forth duel after that point as neither team held more than a two-point lead until the late as a kill from Connors made it 23-19. Mount Holyoke pulled within one (24-23), but dropped the set on a final attacking error.
In the third set, the Lyons came out strong with a 10-3 advantage courtesy of a Blazers attacking error. A kill from senior middle hitter Rebecca Bland (Durham, N.C./Carolina Friends School) and a service ace from Lyon made it a 20-12 contest. MHC closed out the match, earning four of the last five points for the win.
The deciding match saw the Lyons once again jump out to the 10-3 lead behind a kill from first year outside hitter Katrina Meserve (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth). Four straight points, three coming on attacking errors, made it a 21-10 lead and the Lyons closed out the action with kills from Sweeting and Meserve.
Mount Holyoke, which posted 84 digs, 38 assists and 14 service aces in the match, returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Connecticut College for a tri-match. The Lyons face the host Camels (12pm) before squaring off against Worcester State (2pm). Elms, which recorded a match-high 89 digs, is back in action on Saturday as well, at Bay Path (1pm).
