SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – Double-digit kills from three different players propelled Wheaton College past Mount Holyoke College in conference action on Saturday. Wheaton now improves to 8-7 overall and 1-2 in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) while MHC falls to 2-7 overall and 0-4 in conference play.

Sophomore outside hitter Cathryn MacGregor led Wheaton with a team best 13 kills and added 13 digs. Junior right side hitter Allison Cox and sophomore middle hitter Claire Cansler each contributed 10 kills, while first-year setter Becca Houghton recorded a match-high 35 assists.

For Mount Holyoke, several players contributed match-high efforts including sophomore middle hitter Joy Maran who led the game with 14 kills and four service aces. Sophomore libero Cameron Graham led the game with 18 digs, while freshman middle hitter Sasha Simine led the match with two block solos and three block assists.

Wheaton came out strong gaining an 18-11 advantage in the first set. MHC closed the gap to five after a kill by Maran, but Wheaton rallied at the end of the set to end the match, 25-19. 

In the second set, the tables turned and Mount Holyoke held a sizable advantage, going up 22-9 after a kill by Maran. Wheaton battled late but still gave way to a surging MHC squad, dropping the set, 25-13. 

Late in the third set, Mount Holyoke came to within three after once being down by as much as seven earlier in the frame. With the score at 23-20 after a Graham kill, Wheaton was able to score two straight points on kills by first year defensive specialist Nikita Selivan and Houghton to win the set.

In the fourth set, MHC came out hot, getting out to a 17-10 advantage. Back-to-back kills by Wheaton's MacGregor lead to a Mount Holyoke timeout and a slimmed margin of only four. The visitors battled back and suddenly found themselves knotted up at 24-all. With a service ace by Cox, Wheaton was up one with the set, and game in hand. Sophomore middle hitter Sarah Caggiano answered the call and scored two kills in a row.

Despite the momentum, a costly setting error against Mount Holyoke put Wheaton in prime position to win the match, going up 27-26. First-year Cameron Mercer sealed the win, putting down the game-winning kill. 

Wheaton returns home Tuesday, Sept. 27, facing Springfield in a conference affair at 7:00pm.

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*story courtesy of MHC