Mount Holyoke Drops Two in Tri-Match Action on Saturday

Photo of volleyball player Sarah Caggiano

KEENE, N.H. - The Mount Holyoke volleyball team dropped two matches in tri-match action on Saturday against Plymouth State, 3-0 (14-25, 11-25, 20-25) and the host, Keene State 3-2 (25-19, 25-22, 17-25, 16-25, 8-15). The Lyons slip to 3-14 overall following today's matches.

In the opening match against Plymouth State, MHC found themselves down two sets heading into third. The Lyons put up a fight, but eventually fell 25-20 to end the match. Sophomore outside hitter Jamesa Allen (Orlando, Fla./Lake Nona) led with a team-best 12 kills.

Match two of the day saw Mount Holyoke and Keene State go the distance in a highly competitive match. In set one, the Lyons battled to a 13-12 advantage, backed by three kills from sophomore middle hitter Joy Maran (Sante Fe, N.M./Sante Fe Prep). MHC extended the lead with five straight points, capitalizing on three attack errors by the Owls for an 18-12 margin.

After an attack error by Keene State, the Lyons held a 25-14 lead. The Owls didn't give up, scoring five straight points capped off by two back-to-back kills from sophomore middle blocker Niamh Dodd (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) to close the margin. Sophomore middle hitter Sarah Caggiano (Leonardtown, Md./Leonardtown) put down the final kill to end the set, 25-19.

In the second set, the two teams found themselves tied at 21-21 all after a MHC attacking error. The Lyons bounced back and earned three points in a row to go up 24-21. After a kill by Keene's Rachel Lamica (Malone, N.Y./Franklin Academy), Caggiano was able to wrap-up the set win with a kill for the 25-22 win.

Mount Holyoke carried momentum into the third set, getting out to a 6-2 advantage. The Owls battled back to tie the game at 6-all after two Lamica aces. The teams were knotted up again at 11 each, but a 7-0 run by Keene pushed the Owls ahead, 17-11. A kill by outside hitter Brooke Hatanaka (Acton, Mass/Acton-Boxboro) ended the set, 25-17 in favor of the home team.

With the momentum now shifted, the Owls came out to a 10-4 lead in set four. Mount Holyoke closed to margin to 16-14, powered by a pair of kills from Allen. Keene countered the effort with an 8-0 run after a trio of kills from outside hitter Kat Carrell (Avon, Mass./Cardinal Spellman).  Carrell scored the final point to tie the match, 2-2.

In the fifth and deciding set, Keene used a 6-0 run backed by four kills from Lamica to get out to a 10-3 advantage. MHC got as close as 13-8, but eventually dropped the set after an attack error.

First year middle hitter Sasha Simine (Kitchner, Ont./Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute) had a team-high 14 kills, while senior captain Natalie Lyon (Oakton, Va./Flint Hill School) led the team with 33 assists.

The Owls were led by Lamica who had 25 kills, while junior setter Katie Cunningham (Nelsonville, N.Y./Haldane) posted a match-high 45 assists.

Mount Holyoke will be on the road again on Tuesday facing Albertus Magnus at 7:00pm.