BABSON PARK, Mass.—  The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's volleyball team was defeated at No. 22 Babson College, 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-18), in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference action on this evening inside Staake Gymnasium in Babson Park, Mass. 

The Lyons dip to 8-9 overall and 2-4 in the NEWMAC, while Babson improves to 18-2 overall and 8-0 in conference play. 

Junior outside hitter Annah Shaheen (Portsmouth, N.H.) recorded seven kills and three digs for Wheaton, while first-year middle hitter Julia Wingler (Fuquay Varina, N.C.) and senior right side hitter Bailey Madrzyk (Barrington, Ill.) both contributed five kills and three blocks to lead the Lyons. Senior setter Hannah George (Duxbury, Mass.) handed out 16 assists, picked up four digs and got up for a pair of blocks, while classmate Sophie Wilhelm (Saunderstown, R.I.) led all players with 12 digs.

The trio of senior Martina Jankovic Chin (Zapresic, Croatia), junior Lauren Gips (Orlando, Fla.) and first-year Isabella Allen (Williamsville, N.Y.) each had seven kills and combined to hit .472. Senior Jordan Lapins (Calgary, Alberta) added six kills and six digs, sophomore Lauren Griffin (Los Altos Hills, Calif.) put away five kills, and graduate student Izzy Seebold (Concord, N.C.) dished out a match-high 21 assists for the Beavers. Sophomore Tatum Stelter (Glendale, Ariz.) registered a team-high nine digs and junior Ruby Reich (Atlanta, Ga.) doled out 15 third-set assists in the win.

The opening set featured 16 ties and eight lead changes with neither team leading by more than two before the Green and White closed the stanza with six consecutive points. A kill by Griffin made it 20-20 and Gips recorded her third kill of the frame after Wheaton made back-to-back errors to stretch the Babson lead to 23-20. Junior Lulu McShane (Glencoe, Ill.) served up an ace and the hosts took advantage of another error by the Lyons on set point for a 25-20 victory. 

Trailing 7-6 in the second, the Beavers got two kills apiece from Allen and Jankovic Chin as part of an 8-2 run to build a 14-9 advantage. Wheaton pulled back within one at 17-16 before Babson answered with a pair of kills by Allen and an ace from Lapins as part of a five-point spurt that extended the margin back to 22-16 on the way to a two-set lead. 

The Green and White never trailed in game three hitting .407 and putting away 15 kills to finish off the sweep. The Lyons cut an early six-point deficit down to just two only to see the Beavers respond with nine of the next 12 points to take their biggest lead of the stanza at 19-11 on an ace by Lapins.   

Wheaton visits Bridgewater State on Thursday, October 13 at 6:00 p.m., while Babson returns to action on October 18 when it travels to Boston, Mass. to take on Simmons University at 7:00 p.m.