WEST HARTFORD, Conn. -- The Mount Holyoke College volleyball team picked up a pair of non-conference wins Saturday at the University of Hartford, defeating Fitchburg State 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-21) and then dispatching host Hartford 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 20-25, 25-23).
The wins pushed the Lyons (3-2) over the .500 mark heading into their trip to Vassar College next weekend. Mount Holyoke plays Mount Saint Mary and Vassar on Friday, then faces SUNY Delhi on Saturday at Vassar.
Mount Holyoke 3, Fitchburg State 0 (BOX)
Mount Holyoke took the first set from Fitchburg despite a disparity in attack percentage (.179 to .059), and the Lyons won the second and third sets with relative ease. The teams will meet again at Mount Holyoke on Sept. 20.
Senior Madeline Barton (Brookfield, Wis.) led the Lyons attack with 16 kills in a sweep over the Falcons (0-4). Senior Elle Rimando (Mililani, Hawaii) and sophomore Olivia Murray (Miami, Fla.) added five and four kills, respectively.
Sophomore Sonja Gray (Sharon, Mass.) had 13 assists and first-year Mia Sproge (Baltimore, Md.) had 12 assists and 10 digs as Mount Holyoke won without starting senior setter Sadie Duffrin (Minneapolis, Minn.), who returned to action in the Hartford match.
Senior Amelia Ringor (Lafayette, Ind.) and junior Kyra Staples (Chatham, Ill.) had 16 and 15 digs, respectively. Ringor and Sproge tallied four aces apiece.
Mount Holyoke 3, Hartford 1 (BOX)
Despite playing their third match in 20 hours, Mount Holyoke jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Hartford (1-2), dropped the third set to the host Hawks, then built a sizable lead and held on to it in the third set to seal the win and the undefeated day.
Duffrin was a stalwart for the Lyons, with 37 assists, a career-high 25 digs, four aces, and two kills in the victory.
Barton had her first double-double of the season with a team-high 17 kills and 14 digs. Rimando added 14 kills and nine digs, and Murray chipped in 11 kills, including on match point.
Barton (5.08) and Rimando (4.23) rank first and second in the NEWMAC in points per set.
