Wheaton stays perfect in conference play with victory

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – The Wheaton College women's volleyball team remained perfect in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play with 3-0 victory over Mount Holyoke College by scores of 25-11, 25-14, 25-20 on Saturday afternoon.

Wheaton, who had eight student-athletes register at least one kill in the contest, saw middle hitter Sarah Alexander (Wayne, Pa./Conestoga), outside hitter Arieanne Creighton (Brookline, N.H./Hollis Brookline) and outside hitter Deirdre Wilson (Aptos, Calif./Aptos) all post a team-best seven kills. Sophomore setter Caitlin Hellebrand (Corona, Calif./Santiago) added a match-best 18 assists, while defensive specialist Stephanie Martin (Centerville, Mass./Barnstable) compiled a team-high seven digs.

For Mount Holyoke, outside hitter Emma Sweeting (Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y./Hastings) led all student-athletes with a match-best 11 kills, alongside five digs, two block solos and one block assist on the day. Outside hitter Katrina Meserve (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) and middle hitter Rebecca Bland (Durham, N.C./Carolina Friends School) each added four kills, while setter Natalie Lyon (Oakton, Va./Flint Hill School) posted a team-best 17 assists and a match-high 10 digs.

Wheaton notched a .301 hitting percentage, 33 assists, 11 service aces, 32 digs and two blocks (four assists). Mount Holyoke hit .014, dished out 18 assists, had two service aces, 34 digs and three blocks (two solo, two assist). Alexander, Creighton, Jacobs and D. Wilson all hit over .400 in the match, while junior Robyn D'Agostino (Three Bridges, N.J./Hunterdon Central Regional) handed out ten assists and sent home two service aces. Sophomore Olivia Wilson (Alameda, Calif./Head Royce) contributed a match-high five service aces and six digs in the win.

Wheaton came out firing in the opening set, jumping out to a 10-6 lead behind a service error by Mount Holyoke. The two teams traded points for the next couple of plays, but the visiting Lyons took control at the 17-11 mark as Creighton laid down a kill. That play set up a run of eight-straight points for Wheaton, including two more kills from Creighton.

In the second set, Wheaton was once again dominant, taking a 12-5 lead on another kill from Creighton. Sweeting laid down a strike of her own on the next play, but the visitors went on a five-point run, aided by four errors on the Mount Holyoke side to take a 17-6 lead. Another kill from Sweeting later closed the gap to 20-12, but errors continued to plague Mount Holyoke as it committed four more to give Wheaton the edge.

The final set saw Mount Holyoke battle back from a 20-14 deficit to close the gap to 23-20. Kills by Sweeting and Bland aided the rally, as did several Wheaton errors, but the visitors sealed the victory down the stretch as a kill by junior outside hitter Taylor Matook (Exeter, R.I./Exeter-West Greenwich) and an attacking error by Mount Holyoke closed out the match.

Wheaton (8-7, 3-0 NEWMAC) hosts conference rival Springfield College on Tuesday, September 30 at 7 p.m. Mount Holyoke (2-12, 0-5 NEWMAC) returns to the court on Tuesday as well, traveling East for a NEWMAC showdown against Wellesley at 7pm.

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