Lyons snap 29-match losing streak versus the Blue

WELLESLEY, Mass. – The Wheaton College women's volleyball team snapped a 29-match losing streak with a 3-2 come-from-behind win (12-25, 17-25, 25-22, 25-21, 18-16) over Wellesley College in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Tuesday night.

Prior to tonight's contest, Wellesley had also won 36-straight sets against Wheaton – which dates back to 2003 – and had not lost a match versus the Lyons since October 18, 1994. Wheaton rallied from a 2-1 hole in the aforementioned match before rallying in the last two sets for its final victory before tonight.

Wheaton junior middle hitter Kendall Jacobs (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) led all student-athletes with a match-high 17 kills on a .378 hitting percentage alongside two digs, two block assists and one service ace. Jacobs, who needed just two kills to reach 350 for her career tonight, put away three swings in set two, seven in the third set, three more in set four and another four kills in the final stanza.

Classmate Deirdre Wilson (Aptos, Calif./Aptos) collected her 500th career kill with ten putaways, 28 assists, two service aces, 19 digs and one block assist. Wilson has now registered four triple-doubles this season and five overall in her career. Junior outside hitter Arieanne Creighton (Brookline, N.H./Hollis Brookline) added 13 kills, four digs and one assist, while classmate Casey Hess (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington North) had nine kills. Sophomore Caitlin Hellebrand (Corona, Calif./Santiago) dished out 22 assists and Olivia Wilson (Alameda, Calif./Head Royce) notched a season-high 30 digs.

For Wellesley, Brooke Fieldman (Greenwood Village, Colo./Cherry Creek) and Sydney Carfagno (Los Angeles, Calif./Campbell Hall) each tallied double-doubles. Fieldman finished with 15 kills and ten digs, while Carfagno added 14 kills and a team-high 20 digs. Caitlin Laughlin (St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Louis Park Senior) ended the match with 11 kills and five blocks, while Lang added seven kills and five blocks. Maddie Koh (Seattle, Wash./Holy Names Academy) ran the offense and dished out 43 assists, while Taylor Jais (Nokomis, Fla./Pine View) added 13 kills in the loss.

The first set was tight through the early part, with Wellesley holding on to a slim 10-8 lead. From that point on, the Blue took over, as a nine-point serving run from Fieldman surged Wellesley to scoring 15 of the next 19 points. A pair of Carfagno kills ended the set with the Blue taking a 25-12 win.

The second set was much like the first, as Wellesley crept out to an early 9-7 lead, backed by a pair of kills from Carfagno. Another long serving run extended Wellesley's advantage to 19-9. Wheaton rallied late in the set, as Creighton hammered back-to-back kills to bring Wheaton to within six at 19-13. Wellesley then surged again, as a pair of Fieldman kills and a Lyons' attack error handed the Blue the set at 25-17.

From that point on, Wheaton took over. Wellesley took a 1-0 lead in the third set, but that was the last lead the hosts held until the fifth set. The Lyons surged in set three, opening up a 10-6 advantage early on, as D. Wilson picked up three early points. After trading sideouts, Wheaton opened up a 20-10 lead on an impressive serving run from Jodi Katz (Needham, Mass./Needham). Wellesley made things interesting down the stretch, cutting the Lyons lead to 24-22, but Wheaton's Taylor Matook (Exeter, R.I./Exeter-West Greenwich) got the final kill, giving the visitors a 25-22 set win.

Set four had the same script, with Wheaton holding a lead from start to finish. The Lyons opened on a 5-0 run, as a pair of aces and two attack errors put Wellesley behind early. The Blue battled back to within one point at 7-6, 16-15, and 17-16, but Wheaton did not relinquish the advantage. The Lyons went up 24-19 on a block, and then after trading sideouts, Wheaton's D. Wilson unleashed a rocket to end the set at 25-21.

In the fifth set, the teams stayed within a point of each other until a late surge put Wellesley up 14-10. The run was backed by a block from Lang and Laughlin and a kill from Lang. Wheaton was able to regain control on another long service run from Katz, taking a 15-14 lead. The Lyons had a pair of match points denied by service errors before finally taking the set and the match on a Jacobs kill and a Wellesley hitting error.

Wheaton (7-7, 2-0 NEWMAC) travels to Mount Holyoke for a conference matchup on Saturday at 1 p.m. Wellesley (7-4, 1-1 NEWMAC) visits Babson on Thursday at 7 p.m.

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