NORTON, Mass. – Junior right side hitter Bailey Madrzyk (Barrington, Ill.) spiked for 13 kills and senior outside hitter Adara Hamilton (Mercer Island, Wash.) matched her with 14 points to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-18) victory over visiting Mount Holyoke College this evening in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference action at Emerson Gymnasium on the campus of Wheaton. The Lyons of Wheaton improve to 9-5 overall and 2-3 in league play, while the Lyons of Mount Holyoke fall to 3-9 and 0-5. 

Wheaton never trailed in the match and owned a .252 hitting percentage, including a .412 mark in the third set. 

Madrzyk hit .360 for the match and added two digs, while Hamilton hit .412, put down 10 kills, fired four aces and picked up five digs in just two sets. Junior right side hitter Emily Hickey (Kennebunk, Maine) made the most of her time, swinging for 10 kills on a .300 hitting percentage in two sets. Sophomore setter Zoë Franz (Noblesville, Ind.) set for 21 assists, served up three aces and got down for six digs and junior libero Ariana Rajaee (Marlborough, Conn.) scooped up 11 digs to go with an ace. 

Junior outside hitter Marion Abeja (Kumi, Uganda) led Mount Holyoke with five kills, four block assists and nine digs, while junior middle hitter McKenna Crosby (Jonesborough, Tenn.) contributed with four kills, three aces and four block assists. Senior setter Brayden Walden (McKinney, Texas) set for 13 assists and added four digs. 

The teams were tied at 5-5 in the opening set, before Wheaton ripped off five straight points, fueled by a pair of aces from Hamilton to take a 10-5 lead. MHC later closed to within 12-10 and later bounced back from a six-point deficit to stay close at 20-18, but Wheaton scored the final five points, including a pair of aces from Franz to take the frame. 

Wheaton scored the first five points to ignite a 16-5 start to establish the tone for the second set. Hamilton put down three kills and served up an ace to pace the Lyons during the opening set display. Mount Holyoke scored seven of the next 10 points, including a kill and an ace from Crosby, to close to within 19-12, but it was as close as the visitors would get. Wheaton went on a 5-1 run to reach set point at 24-13, but MHC scored three times before Hickey gave the home team the set at 25-16. 

Mount Holyoke stayed close through the first part of the third set, sitting just a point from Wheaton at 8-7, but the home squad reeled off five straight points to take a 13-7 margin. MHC later closed to within 18-14, but could get no closer the rest of the way as Wheaton took the set and the match on another Hickey kill. 

Wheaton returns to action on Friday, October 1 when it travels to Dorchester, Mass. to take on University of Massachusetts Boston for a 7:00 p.m. match, while Mount Holyoke heads to Wellesley, Mass. on October 2 to play NEWMAC foe Wellesley College at 2:00 p.m.