NORTON, Mass. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's volleyball team was unable to hold off University of Massachusetts Boston's comeback in a five-set 3-2 (18-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-20, 15-12) this evening at Emerson Gymnasium on the campus of Wheaton in Norton, Mass.

The Lyons fall to 5-7 on the season, while the Beacons improve to 3-12.

UMass Boston trailed by at least four points in every set during the match and were four points away from a fifth set loss, before pulling out the frame and the match.

The Beacons did not commit more than five attack errors in any set during the evening.

First year outside hitter Sydney Lyon (Weston, Conn.) put away 10 kills, picked up five digs and served an ace for Wheaton and senior right side hitter Bailey Madrzyk (Barrington, Ill.) put down eight kills on a .350 hitting percentage and added a block assist. Junior outside hitter Annah Shaheen (Portsmouth, N.H.) racked up eight kills on a .273 hitting clip in addition to three block assists and a trio of digs. Senior setter Hannah George (Duxbury, Mass.) set for 30 assists and registered 10 digs for a double-double to go with three aces. Senior libero Sophie Wilhelm (Saunderstown, R.I.) got down for 21 digs in four sets for the Lyons.

Senior hitter McKayla Geraghty (Elgin, Ill.) spiked for a match-high 10 kills on a .300 hitting mark to go with seven digs and an ace for UMass Boston, while senior hitter Taryn Broughal (Brandford, Conn.) swung for eight kills and got up for a pair of solo blocks in addition to an ace. First year setter Amelia Devlin (West Chester, Pa.) set for 27 assists and added four kills, four aces and 11 digs for a double-double. Junior libero Ally Dean (Portland, Ore.) got down for 27 digs and fired a pair of aces.

The Beacons faced a 10-4 deficit in the fifth set before going on a furious 9-1 run, including a pair of kills from sophomore hitter Dylan Wertzberger (Dallas, Texas), to give them a 13-11 lead. Lyon put away a kill to pull Wheaton to within 13-12, but UMass Boston tallied the final two points, including an ace from Devlin for the final point of the night and a match win for the visitors.

The Lyons led for most of the opening set and owned a 16-13 lead, before going on a 6-2 burst, including an ace from first year middle hitter Julia Wingler (Fuquay Varina, N.C.), to take a 22-15 advantage. The home team maintained their margin and cruised to a 25-18 first set win. 

Wheaton scored the first five points of the second frame and later owned a 15-7 cushion. The Beacons put together a 10-4 stretch that saw them close to within 19-17 and later sat within 23-21 after a kill from Broughal, but the Lyons scored the final two points to take a 2-0 match lead.

UMass Boston was finally able to take a lead later in a set when it boasted an 11-10 edge in the third session. Wheaton managed to pull ahead at 16-14 with one of five lead changes late in the set, but the Beacons scored five of the next six points to take a 19-17 margin. The Lyons stayed within 21-19, but UMass Boston reeled off four straight points to win its first set of the night.

Wheaton owned an 11-10 edge in the fourth set, before the teams were tied at 13-13. The Beacons tallied five unanswered points to take an 18-13 margin and never looked back. The Lyons came up with a 6-2 burst, capped by an Isabel Coca (San Marcos, Calif.) ace to pull the home team within 20-19, but UMass Boston scored five of the final six points to knot the match at two sets apiece.

Wheaton returns to action tomorrow morning with the first match of a tri-match, taking on visiting Roger Williams University at 11:00 a.m. in Emerson Gymnasium, while the Beacons host Little East Conference rival Rhode Island College on October 4 for a 7:00 p.m. match at the Clark Athletic Center.