Lyons fall to 4-6 on the season

BRISTOL, R.I. – The Wheaton College women's volleyball team dropped a pair of matches to Colby-Sawyer and Roger Williams on day two of the Ocean State Classic held on the campus of Roger Williams University at the Campus Recreation Center. The Lyons fell to Colby-Sawyer by scores of 25-19, 16-25, 25-18 and 28-26 and to Roger Williams by scores of 25-13, 25-13, 17-25 and 25-15.

COLBY-SAWYER 3, WHEATON 1 (25-19, 16-25, 25-18, 28-26)

Sophomore outside hitter Colleen Koen (Centerville, Mass./Barnstable) led the charge for Wheaton offensively with 11 kills (.320 hitting percentage) alongside two blocks (one solo). Junior Deidre Wilson (Aptos, Calif./Aptos) notched a double-double with 18 assists and 18 digs in addition to eight kills, one service ace and five blocks (all assists).

Kendall Jacobs (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) had six kills (.429 hitting percentage), three digs and four blocks (one solo), while junior Casey Hess (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington North) compiled six kills, one dig and three block assists. Sophomore Caitlin Hellebrand (Corona, Calif./Santiago) initiated the offense with 19 assists, three service aces and nine digs.

Defensively, sophomore Olivia Wilson (Alameda, Calif./Head Royce) collected a team-high 22 digs and first-year Jodi Katz (Needham, Mass./Needham) turned in 13 digs. Junior Taylor Matook (Exeter, R.I./Exeter-West Greenwich) recorded six block assists, one dig and two kills, while classmate Arieanne Creighton (Brookline, N.H./Hollis Brookline) put away four swings, tallied five digs and two block assists.

As a team, Wheaton fashioned a season-high 12.5 blocks including two block solos and 21 block assists. The Lyons also had 79 digs, five service aces and 37 kills.

Colby-Sawyer senior Stephanie Vecchio (Shelter Island, N.Y./Shelter Island) led all student-athletes with 16 kills (.419) and junior setter Laura Smolinski (Hebron, Conn./RHAM) dished out a match-high 42 assists and also bumped eight Wheaton attacks. Sophomore Gabrielle Rodriguez (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) contributed ten kills, nine digs and one service ace.

ROGER WILLIAMS 3, WHEATON 1 (25-13, 25-13, 17-25, 25-15)

D. Wilson paced the offense with ten kills, six assists, 15 digs and four blocks (two solo) for her second double-double of the day and the season. Matook and Creighton combined for eight kills, while Hellebrand had 13 assists and six digs. Koen also put away two swings to reach 100 for her career.

Defensively, O. Wilson had a team-high 17 digs to go along with three assists and Katz compiled six digs. The Lyons had 64 digs total and record eight blocks (two solo, 12 assist).

Roger Williams received a match-high 13 kills (.385 hitting percentage) from sophomore Brittany McMullen (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) and 11 putaways and nine digs via Elizabeth Flaherty (Sloatsburg, N.Y./Suffern). First-year setter Josalyn Benson (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Vista) handed out a match-high 37 assists alongside three kills, and eight digs. Sophomore Sarah McAniff (Redding, Conn./Joel Barlow) added 18 digs, six kills, one assist and one service ace.

Wheaton (4-6) returns to action on Tuesday, September 16 as the Lyons travel to Brandeis for a non-conference match at 7 p.m.

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