NORTON, Mass. - Despite winning the opening set, the Wheaton College volleyball team fell 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 21-25, 16-25) to visiting Springfield College Tuesday evening in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) match-up in Emerson Gymnasium.

Sophomore Claire Cansler paced the Lyons with a team-high nine kills, while Cathryn MacGregor and Cameron Mercer each finished with eight a piece. Mercer also ended with a match-high four blocks. MacGregor and Cansler each finished with three blocks. First-year Becca Houghton ended the match with 32 assists and junior Stephanie Martin led the team with 30 digs. 

Jennifer Donnelly and Lauren Holt concluded the night with a match-high 14 kills, while teammate Hayley Kmetz was right behind them with 13. Marnae Mawdsley led the Pride with a match-high 40 assists, while Anagabrielle Sanchez had a match-high 35 digs. 

Springfield cruised ahead to an early lead in the first set, just to have it erased by a steady comeback by Wheaton. Taking advantage of several unforced errors by the Pride and solid attacking from Allison Cox, Mercer, and MacGregor. With the set tied at 22 all, first-year Nikita Selivan took charge, ending the match with a kill and back-to-back service aces. 

In the second set, the Pride once again came out strong, running up a 6-2 lead. This time however, the Lyons were unable to do enough to take a lead, falling 25-20. 

The third set proved to be a slugfest with the two sides tying the game 10 times and trading possession of the lead four times. It was Springfield this time that would do enough down the stretch to pull out the win, courtesy of a handful of Wheaton errors and a set closing kill by Kmetz. 

Springfield took the lead early in the fourth set and never looked back.

The Lyons return to the court on Saturday, Oct. 1 for a tri-match against MIT and Framingham State in Cambridge, Mass. The Lyons take on MIT at 11 a.m. in a NEWMAC contest, before facing off against Framingham St. at 1 p.m. 

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