NORTON, Mass. — The Johnson & Wales University (R.I.) women's volleyball team overcame a 2-1 deficit to pull out a 3-2 (25-15, 24-26, 17-25, 25-20, 15-11) victory over host Wheaton College (Mass.) this afternoon in the third match of a tri-match at Emerson Gymnasium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.

The Lyons dip to 11-7 on the season, while the Wildcats improve to 10-10.

Wheaton honored its four seniors in a pre-match ceremony. The Lyons paid tribute to Isabel Coca (San Marcos, Calif.), Julianna Flack (Saint Petersburg, Fla.), Megan Kelleher (Wethersfield, Conn.) and Annah Shaheen (Portsmouth, N.H.).

Wheaton had defeated Smith College, 3-2, in the day's first match, while the Pioneers took down JWU in three sets.

Shaheen led the Lyons with a season-high 14 kills and added 15 digs for a double-double, while sophomore outside hitter Celina Henn (Atwater, Calif.) spiked for 12 kills on a .250 hitting mark to go with three aces and three digs. Sophomore outside hitter Sydney Lyon (Weston, Conn.) put away seven kills in three sets in addition to six digs. Flack set for a match-high 42 assists, picked up eight digs and fired an ace to go with a block solo. First year libero Jackie Hochberg (Tampa, Fla.) got down for 21 digs to lead all players and served for a pair of aces.

Senior middle blocker Peyton Oliver (Ramsey, N.J.) swung for 14 kills and fired a pair of aces to lead Johnson & Wales and added three digs and a block assist, while senior hitter Sarah Miller (Scarborough, Ontario) put down 11 kills and added 13 digs for a double-double. First year setter Kelsie Tretera (Carmel, N.Y.) set for 30 assists, picked up a pair of digs, fired an ace and was credited with four kills, while sophomore libero Sierra Nausieda (Ada, Mich.) scooped up 14 digs.

JWU only needed five kills and took advantage of a poor first-set hitting effort from its hosts to take the opening set. The teams battled back and forth past the midway point of the set with the Wildcats holding a 15-13 lead. Johnson & Wales closed out the frame with a 10-2 run to take a 1-0 match lead following an Oliver kill.

Wheaton took a 12-8 advantage in the second set, but five straight points, including a pair of aces from Oliver gave JWU a 13-12 edge for one of eight lead changes in the set. The Lyons countered with five of the next seven points, including two kills from Henn, to jump ahead at 17-15. The Wildcats responded with a 6-2 run to reclaim the lead at 21-19, before Wheaton scored five of six , including two kills from Shaheen to sit with match point at 24-22. Oliver put down a pair of kills to pull JWU even at 24-24, but the next two points were the only ones that mattered with the Lyons taking the frame at 26-24 to tie the match at 1-1.

Johnson & Wales opened the third set with a 6-2 lead, before Wheaton took control with a 16-4 stretch that saw Henn put down two kills and serve a pair of aces. The Lyons owned an 18-10 advantage, before the Wildcats clawed to within 21-15. Wheaton scored four of the final six points, including a kill from Shaheen to give the home team a 2-1 match lead.

JWU doubled up on the Lyons to begin the fourth set to take a 10-5 margin. The Lyons closed to within 10-9 and kept to within one at 20-19, but three kills from Miller helped fuel a set-sending 5-1 burst from Johnson & Wales to give the Wildcats the set and force a fifth frame.

JWU carried the momentum into the deciding set, scoring the first six points of an 8-1 blitz, including a pair of kills from Tretera. Wheaton fought back with four straight points to cut the deficit to 8-5. Shaheen kept the home team close with a kill to make it 12-10, but the Wildcats received a pair of kills from Miller as part of the set's final 3-1 run to give Johnson & Wales a 15-11 win. 

Prior to the 3-2 defeat, the Lyons were a perfect 5-0 in five-set battles.

The Wildcats return to the court on Wednesday, October 18 when they head to Newton, Mass. to take on Great Northeast Athletic Conference foe Lasell University at 7:00 p.m., while Wheaton travels to No. 20 Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a 7:00 p.m. match on October 17.