NORTON, Mass. -- The Wheaton College women's volleyball team was defeated by visiting United States Coast Guard Academy, 3-1 (25-27, 25-17, 27-25, 25-18), in a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference match this afternoon at Emerson Gymnasium. The Lyons fall to 8-5 overall and 1-3 in league play, while the Bears improve to 9-4 overall and 2-1.

Sophomore outside hitter Annah Shaheen (Portsmouth, N.H.) swung for 15 kills to match her personal best and added two digs and a pair of blocks to lead Wheaton, while senior outside hitter Adara Hamilton (Mercer Island, Wash.) posted a double-double of 11 kills and 15 digs to go with two blocks and an ace. Sophomore Zoë Franz (Noblesville, Ind.) set for 27 assists to go with eight digs and junior libero Sophie Wilhelm (Saunderstown, R.I.) picked up 16 digs and served for an ace.

Senior outside hitter Amanda Dake (Victor, N.Y.) (20) and junior outside hitter Sophia Galdamez (Cardiniff by the Sea, Calif.) (22) combined to swing for 42 kills to lead Coast Guard. Dake and Galdamez each committed only four attack errors each. Dake added six aces and 13 digs to go with a .444 hitting percentage, while Galdamez hit .360 and came up with 11 digs to go with her career-high kill total. Junior setter Noelle Tursky (Fort Myers, Fla.) set for a career-best 46 assists, picked up three digs and fired an ace. First year libero Kaela France (Calhan, Colo.) got down for a match-high 18 digs to lead the defense. 

The Bears were extremely consistent, hitting at least .200 in every set to finish the match with a .247 mark. 

The teams stayed within four points of each other throughout the opening set, before the Lyons took a 12-8 lead. They later maintained a 24-20 margin, but Coast Guard ripped off five straight points, capped by an ace from Dake to take a 25-24 edge. Shaheen put down the final two points for the home team to take a 1-0 match lead after a 27-25 set victory. 

The Bears scored seven of the first eight points of the second frame and never looked back. A kill from Dake later gave them a 15-9 advantage, but Wheaton battled back to within 19-16 following a kill from junior right side hitter Bailey Madrzyk (Barrington, Ill.). Coast Guard closed out the set with a 6-1 run, led by a pair of kills from Dake. 

The Bears controlled most of the third set, taking a 14-9 lead on a Dake kill and later owned a 20-19 edge on another kill from Dake. The Lyons reeled off four unanswered points, including a kill and an ace from Hamilton, to take a 23-20 lead. Coast Guard was able to close again with a 7-2 rally, including three kills from Galdamez and two aces from Dake to take the set. 

Wheaton took an early 7-3 lead in the fourth frame, but a 12-4 stretch, fueled by four kills from Galdamez, gave the visitors a 15-11 cushion. Wheaton closed to within 15-13 on a kill from junior right side hitter Emily Hickey (Kennebunk, Maine), but it was the closest it would get. The Bears essentially put the set and match away with an 8-1 blitz to take a 23-14 lead. The Lyons put together four consecutive points, but it wasn't enough. 

Wheaton returns to action on Tuesday, September 28 when it hosts Mount Holyoke College in NEWMAC play at 7:00 p.m., while Coast Guard heads to Worcester, Mass. to take on Clark University at 7:00 p.m. in league action.