Volleyball downs Dean College at home, 3-0

Elle Rimando had nine kills, including three of Mount Holyoke's last six points, in a 3-0 win over Dean College on Sept. 12, 2023. (RJB Sports file photo)
Elle Rimando had nine kills, including three of Mount Holyoke's last six points, in a 3-0 win over Dean College on Sept. 12, 2023. (RJB Sports file photo)

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- Madeline Barton, Lucie Berclaz and Elle Rimando combined for 33 kills as the Mount Holyoke College volleyball team swept Dean College 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-18) in a non-conference match Tuesday night in Howard Gym.

Mount Holyoke (4-2) won its second straight match, hitting at a .210 percentage, its second best of the season. Rimando (Mililani, Hawaii) had nine kills with no attack errors on 20 attempts (.450), and Berclaz (Hull, Mass.) had 11 kills against one error on 32 swings (.312). Barton led the Lyons in kills for the sixth time in as many matches this season, with 13.

Berclaz added a team-high 15 digs; sophomore setter Sadie Duffrin (Minneapolis, Minn.) tallied 14 digs and 29 assists, and sophomore Amelia Ringor (Lafayette, Ind.) added 13 digs.

Sari Albury led Dean (1-6) with five kills, and Emily Larouche added four to go with a team-high 14 digs. Skylar Raskevitz had 10 digs and Bella Driscoll had 13 assists with nine digs for the Bulldogs.

In the first set, Mount Holyoke pulled out of an 8-8 tie with an 11-4 run, including a pair of service aces by both Berclaz and Duffrin. Dean closed within 22-20 with a kill by Emily Larouche, but kills by first-year Katie Frank (Prairieville, La.) at 23-20 and by Berclaz at set point put the hosts ahead 1-0.

The Lyons scored first in the second set and never trailed. Barton had a team-high five kills in the set and served up an ace on set point for a 2-0 Lyons lead.

The Lyons trailed the Bulldogs by scores of 12-8 and 17-14 in the third set, but rallied for 10 straight points with Berclaz serving. Berclaz and Barton both had kills in the run, and Rimando racked up kills to put Mount Holyoke ahead 20-17, 21-17, and finally for the match point at 25-18.

Mount Holyoke travels to UMass-Dartmouth for three matches this weekend, beginning with UMass-Boston on Friday at 6pm. Dean will host Suffolk University on Thursday at 6pm.