MEDFORD, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke College volleyball team recorded the fourth-highest team attack percentage in Division III this season in a dominating 3-0 (25-4, 25-4, 25-4) non-conference victory over Lesley University completed in just 50 minutes Thursday night at Medford High School.
The visiting Lyons hit a season-best .692, collecting 28 kills on 39 attempts with just one error on the night. The Lyons also collected a season-high 29 service aces after entering the match ranked 37th in DIII in aces per set.
Mount Holyoke (9-11) won for the third time in the past four matches, hitting no worse than .583 in each set. The 12 points the Lyons allowed is their fewest since at least 2008.
The Lynx (0-15) took an early 2-0 lead in the opening set behind a pair of Mount Holyoke hitting errors, but the Lyons recovered with four straight points to take the lead for good in the frame. Mount Holyoke rattled off 14 straight points behind the service game of senior McKenna Crosby (Jonesborough, Tenn.) to take an 18-3 lead. Following a service error to make it 18-4, senior Marion Abeja (Kumi, Uganda) served up the final six points to account for the 25-4 final in the opening frame.
The Lyons stayed hot to open the second set, scoring the first seven points again behind the service game of Abeja to take a 7-0 cushion. The Lynx responded with consecutive points to make it 7-2, but Mount Holyoke regrouped to close the set on an 18-2 flurry, hitting a gaudy .846 (11-0-13) along the way to post the 25-4 second-set win.
Mount Holyoke stayed in control of the final set, racing out to a 10-1 lead. The sides traded points midway through the set to move the score to 11-3, but the Lyons closed the match strong with nine straight points behind the service action of sophomore Barah Burns (Los Angeles, Calif.) for the 25-4 win.
First-year Elle Rimando (Mililani, Hawaii) led the way for MHC with a match-high six kills on seven swings for a season-best .857 hitting percentage. Senior Sierra West (Longmont, Colo.) and first-year Madeline Barton (Brookfield, Wis.) added five kills each.
Crosby finished with a career-high 12 aces, three kills and a solo block to lead Mount Holyoke with 16 points on the night.
First-year Sadie Duffrin (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Abeja split setting duties with 13 and nine assists, respectively.
In a schedule alteration for this Saturday, Mount Holyoke will host Worcester State in a pair of matches beginning at 11am. A scheduled tri-match including those two teams and Cazenovia was cancelled on Thursday.
