NORTON, Mass. — Sophomore outside hitter Sydney Lyon (Weston, Conn.) swung for a career-high 25 kills as part of a 30-point effort to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's volleyball team over visiting Gordon College, 3-2, this afternoon at Emerson Gymnasium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.

The Lyons improve to 8-5 on the season, while the Fighting Scots fall to 9-5.

Wheaton fired 16 aces for the second time on the day after serving for the same total in its earlier match vs. Babson College as part of a tri-match. The Lyons racked up double-digit aces for the eighth time this season.

Lyon hit .292 for the match, registered four aces and added 12 digs for her sixth double-double of the season in addition to a pair of block assists for Wheaton. Sophomore outside hitter Celina Henn (Atwater, Calif.) put down 15 kills, served for three aces and picked up three digs. Senior setter Julianna Flack (Saint Petersburg, Fla.) set for 41 assists and added 10 digs, two block assists and an ace, while first year libero Jackie Hochberg (Tampa, Fla.) scooped up 17 digs to go with three aces.

Junior right side hitter Annie Murphy (Wenham, Mass.) spiked for 15 kills in addition to four aces, five block assists and three digs for Gordon, while first year hitter Annie Zimmerman (Austin, Texas) swung for 13 kills on a .286 hitting mark and added six block assists, three digs and four aces. Junior outside hitter Joey Keltner (Anacortes, Wash.) contributed with 10 kills, two aces, nine digs and four block assists and senior setter Kate Howe (Belfast, N.Y.) set for 34 assists and added 14 digs for a double-double. 

The Lyons opened a 12-5 lead, including four kills from Henn, in the first set. The Fighting Scots lived up to their name and ripped off nine straight points as part of a 13-2 stretch, including three kills from Zimmerman and two aces from Keltner, to take an 18-14 margin. Wheaton scored six of the next seven points to take a 20-19 edge, fueled by a pair of aces from Lyon and a kill. Gordon responded with a 5-2 burst, including two kills from Keltner to sit on set point at 24-22, but the Lyons answered with four straight points, including the final two points on aces from Henn to give the home team a 26-24 first set win. 

Wheaton held a 9-8 edge in the second frame until the Fighting Scots put together a 9-2 run, led by three kills and an ace from Zimmerman, to take a 17-11 lead. The Lyons tallied the next four points to pull to within 17-15, but Gordon scored five of the next six points to increase its cushion to 22-16 before taking the set at 25-21.

Wheaton ripped off six straight points to open the third set, including a pair of kills from Lyon, but the Fighting Scots countered with five unanswered points to cut the deficit to one. Wheaton controlled the remainder of the frame with Lyon putting the team on her back with six kills and first year defensive specialist Ari Tanksley (Chesapeake, Va.) firing a trio of aces to give the Lyons a 21-10 advantage. Gordon changed the feeling in the gym quickly with seven straight points to cut the margin to 22-18, but Wheaton regrouped with the last three points, including a kill from Henn to give it a 25-18 set win and a 2-1 match lead. 

Lyon gave the Lyons a 13-12 edge with a kill in the fourth set, before the Fighting Scots scored the next four points to take a 16-13 lead. Wheaton closed to within 19-18, but it was as close as it would get as Gordon scored six of the final nine points to send the match to a fifth frame.

The Fighting Scots took an early 6-2 lead in the fifth set, but the Lyons scored seven of the next eight points, including two kills from first year middle hitter Hollis Hanson (Parker, Colo.) to take a 9-7 lead. Gordon reclaimed the lead after a 5-1 burst at 12-10, courtesy of a pair of kills from Zimmerman. Wheaton pulled back in front at 13-12, but the Fighting Scots tallied the next two points to put them in position to win the match at 14-13. The Lyons tied the set at 14-all for the first of four ties for the remainder of the frame. The teams remained tied at 17-17 in the see-saw battle, before Wheaton took advantage of a pair of Gordon attack errors to take the set and the match.

The Lyons return to the court on Tuesday, October 3 when they travel to Worcester, Mass. to play New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference foe Clark University at 7:00 p.m., while the Fighting Scots head to Beverly, Mass. to play Endicott College at 7:00 p.m. on October 4.