WORCESTER, Mass. — Sophomore outside hitter Sydney Lyon (Weston, Conn.) swung for a match-high 19 kills and first year libero Jackie Hochberg (Tampa, Fla.) fired a career-best eight aces to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's volleyball team over host Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 3-1 (26-24, 9-25, 25-13, 25-14), this afternoon in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Harrington Auditorium in Worcester, Mass.

The Lyons finish the regular season with a 14-13 mark, including 5-6 in NEWMAC play, and defeat the Engineers on the road for the first time since a 3-2 triumph in Worcester on October 17, 2017. WPI dips to 11-13 and 4-7 following their season finale as well.

Wheaton clinches the number seven seed in the NEWMAC Championship Tournament with the victory and will travel to Babson Park, Mass. on Tuesday, November 7 to take on second-seeded Babson College at 7:00 p.m. in the Quarterfinals.

The Lyons fired 16 aces in the match and owned a .209 hitting mark, while WPI registered a .220 hitting percentage.

Lyon hit .245 for the match and added two aces and three block assists to give her a match-high 22.5 points in addition to picking up nine digs, while Hochberg picked up 12 digs. First year right side hitter Mary Caroline Mazzanti (New Orleans, La.) spiked for nine kills behind a .300 hitting clip and sophomore middle hitter Hollis Hanson (Parker, Colo.) put away seven kills and got up for a pair of block assists. Senior setter Julianna Flack (Saint Petersburg, Fla.) set for 35 assists, picked up six digs and served for two aces.

Graduate student setter Catherine Reynolds (Concord, N.H.) led the Engineers with 10 kills and 17 assists to go with seven digs and a pair of aces and two block assists. Senior outside hitter Olivia Deckers (Marlboro, Mass.) put down nine kills fueled by a .346 hitting mark and added three digs and a block solo. Junior middle hitter Emily Hudson (Melrose, Mass.). contributed with seven kills and committed just one attack error as part of a .353 hitting percentage. She also recorded four block assists. Senior libero Jia Yazon (South Windsor, Conn.) led all players with 14 digs and fired a trio of aces.

The Lyons ripped off the first six points of the opening set as part of a 13-5 run that featured three kills from Lyon. Wheaton later owned a 20-13 advantage, before WPI came alive with a spirited 11-2 run, including two kills from Reynolds, to take a 24-22 lead. The Engineers were unable to complete the comeback as the Lyons scored the final four points of the frame, including three kills from Lyon to take the set at 26-24.

The teams were knotted at 2-2 in the second set, before WPI put together a 17-5 run, including three kills from Reynolds, that Wheaton never recovered from. The Lyons cut the deficit to 19-9, but the Engineers left no doubt with six unanswered points, including a pair of kills from Decker to take the set at 25-9.

Wheaton shook off the poor performance and cruised to a 25-13 third set win to take a 2-1 match lead. The Lyons held a slim 10-9 edge, before closing out the frame with a 15-4 blitz that saw Lyon put away five kills to give the visitors the set and the match lead.

Wheaton scored the first four points of the fourth set, but WPI went on a 10-3 stretch, led by three kills from Decker, to establish a 10-7 lead. The Engineers later owned an 11-9 margin, but the Lyons roared back with 11 straight points, including four kills from Lyon and a pair of aces from Hochberg to take a commanding 21-11 cushion. Sophomore middle hitter Julia Wingler (Fuquay Varina, N.C.) put down the final kill of the afternoon to give Wheaton a 25-14 set win and a 3-1 match victory.