NORTHAMPTON, Mass. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's volleyball team battled back from an 0-2 hole and forced a fifth set, but fell short in its comeback bid in a 3-2 (25-18, 25-19, 15-25, 24-26, 18-16) loss to Westfield State University this afternoon in the second tilt of a tri-match at host Smith College's Ainsworth Gymnasium in Northampton, Mass.

The Lyons dip to 7-15 on the season, while the Owls improve to 10-10.

Wheaton hit .141 for the match, while Westfield State was held to a .098 hitting clip.

Junior outside hitter Sydney Lyon (Weston, Conn.) led all players with 19 kills and a career-high 28 digs for her seventh double-double of the season to go with four aces and a block solo for the Lyons. Junior outside hitter Celina Henn (Atwater, Calif.) posted her fifth double-double with 14 kills and 11 digs to go with a pair of block solos, while sophomore right side hitter Mary Caroline Mazzanti (New Orleans, La.) swung for 12 kills on a .270 hitting mark and picked up seven digs. Sophomore setter Ajsa Orbán (Budapest, Hungary) set for 39 assists to lead all players and added 11 digs and an ace and sophomore libero Jackie Hochberg (Tampa, Fla.) got down for 25 digs and fired a trio of aces.

First year outside hitter Sydney Cummins (Nicholasville, Ky.) led the Owls with 10 kills and added 13 digs for her fifth double-double of the season, while junior outside hitter Emma Nihill (Chandler, Ariz.) swung for nine kills, got up for a block solo and picked up a dig. Senior middle blocker Sarah Bingham (Reno, Nev.) contributed with eight kills on a .333 hitting mark, four aces, seven block solos and a pair of digs. Senior setter Julia Dangel-Garcia (Ashland, Mass.) set for 19 assists and picked up eight digs and first year libero Chloe Schuld (Sycamore, Ill.) scooped up 21 digs and fired three aces.

Wheaton dropped the first two sets, before winning the next two to set up the winner-take-all fifth frame. The Lyons won four of the first five points, before Schuld sparked three straight points with a pair of aces for Westfield State to pull even at 4-4. Wheaton answered with the next four points and later maintained a 10-6 lead after a kill from Mazzanti. The Owls battled back again with four unanswered points, capped by an ace from Bingham, to knot the set at 10-10. Lyon gave the Lyons a 12-11 edge with a kill, but Westfield State scored three of the next four points to give the Owls set and match point at 14-13 after a kill from Cummins. Henn put down the next two kills for Wheaton to give the Lyons set and match point at 15-14. The Owls held serve until a Mazzanti kill again put Wheaton one point away from the match at 16-15. Westfield State closed out the contest with the final three points, including a pair of kills from Nihill to win it.

The Lyons opened the match with an 11-7 first set lead and later owned a 13-10 margin. The Owls jumped ahead with the next four points, including two kills from junior setter Morgan Dority (Walpole, Mass.), at 14-13. Lyon reclaimed the lead for Wheaton with a kill to make it 16-15, but a 10-2 Westfield State run gave the Owls the frame at 25-18, led by four kills from junior right side hitter Hanna Nihill (Chandler, Ariz.).

Westfield State carried its momentum into the second set, taking a 6-1 lead after two kills apiece from Cummins and Bingham. The Owls later maintained a 16-11 advantage, before a kill and an ace from Lyon pulled the Lyons within 16-13. It was as close as Wheaton would get as Westfield State put together an 8-3 burst to take a 24-16 cushion. The Lyons delayed things by winning the next three points, including a pair of kills from Lyon, to cut the deficit to 24-19, but the Owls took the next point to assert themselves with a 2-0 match lead.

Wheaton took an early 8-6 lead after a kill from junior middle hitter Julia Wingler (Fuquay Varina, N.C.), before four straight points gave the Owls a 10-8 lead. The Lyons showed they weren't ready for the match to end, ripping off 10 straight points, including two kills from Mazzanti, to take an 18-10 advantage. Wheaton maintained a 22-14 cushion, before winning three of the final four points, including a kill from junior middle hitter Hollis Hanson (Parker, Colo.) to give the Lyons the set.

Henn spiked for three kills as part of a 7-2 run to start the fourth set for Wheaton. The Lyons maintained a 10-6 lead after a Lyon kill, before four straight points from Westfield State knotted the frame at 10-10. The teams remained tied at 14-14, before Wheaton took a 17-14 margin after a Henn kill and later held an 18-16 lead. The Owls scored five of the next six points to take a 21-19 lead, before the Lyons went on a 5-2 burst, backed by four kills from Lyon, to sit on set point at 24-23. Westfield State evened the frame at 24-24, but the next two points, including a kill from Henn, gave the frame to Wheaton.

The Lyons return to the court on Tuesday, October 22 when they host No. 4 Massachusetts Institute of Technology at Emerson Gymnasium in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at 7:00 p.m., while the Owls host Worcester State University at the same time on the same night.