Volleyball falls at Emerson to finish season at 13-12

Elle Rimando (left) had three kills and Madeline Barton (right) had a team-high seven in Mount Holyoke's 3-0 loss at Emerson on Oct. 29, 2022. (RJB Sports file photo)
Elle Rimando (left) had three kills and Madeline Barton (right) had a team-high seven in Mount Holyoke's 3-0 loss at Emerson on Oct. 29, 2022. (RJB Sports file photo)

BOSTON -- The Mount Holyoke College volleyball team finished its first winning campaign since 1992 on Saturday, with a 3-0 loss at a tough NEWMAC opponent in Emerson College.

Emerson (18-4, 7-3) hit at a .403 attack percentage for the match, including a .560 mark in the second set, as the host Lions defeated the visiting Lyons (13-12, 1-8 NEWMAC) by set scores of 25-15, 25-17, and 25-20. The Lions are ranked third in NCAA Region II behind MIT and Babson.

At 13-12, Mount Holyoke finished the 2022 season with its best record since the 16-10 team of 1992. The Lyons won seven of their final nine matches.

First-year Madeline Barton (Brookfield, Wis.) paced the Lyons in kills with seven, with seniors Marion Abeja (Kumi, Uganda) and Mar Simon (Miami, Fla.) adding five apiece. Abeja and senior Sierra West (Longmont, Colo.) shared the team lead with five digs apiece. First-year Sadie Duffrin (Minneapolis, Minn.) had 17 assists.

Shea McGovern and Jillian Kay led Emerson with 10 kills apiece, Kay on 13 attempts (.692) and McGovern on 14 (.643).

It was the final match for Mount Holyoke's four seniors -- Abeja, Simon, West, and McKenna Crosby (Jonesborough, Tenn.), who had three kills and a solo block in the match.