CLINTON, N.Y. -- Junior outside hitter Celina Henn (Atwater, Calif.) spiked for a match-high 16 kills and sophomore setter Ajsa Orbán (Budapest, Hungary) set for 38 assists to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's volleyball team over host Hamilton College, 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 26-24), today at Margaret Bundy Scott Field House in Clinton, N.Y.
The Lyons improve to 8-17 on the season, while the Continentals fall to 4-12.
Wheaton posted a .193 hitting percentage for the match, including .229 in the first set and .273 in the third frame, while Hamilton registered a .000 mark in both the first and second sets, but managed to hit .055 for the match.
Henn and Orbán were two of three Lyons to post double-doubles in the contest. Henn added 11 digs, two aces and a block assist, while Orbán picked up 11 digs, fired three aces and got up for a block assist. Junior outside hitter Sydney Lyon (Weston, Conn.) put down 13 kills in addition to scooping up 10 digs and sophomore right side hitter Mary Caroline Mazzanti (New Orleans, La.) swung for nine kills to go with four digs and two block assists. Sophomore defensive specialist Lillie Zickert (Gurnee, Ill.) got down for a match and career-high 16 digs to pace the Wheaton defense.
Senior middle hitter Drew Stimson (Belvedere Tiburon, Calif.) led the Continentals with eight kills fueled by a .304 hitting mark to go with three digs, two aces and a pair of total blocks. First year outside hitter Allie Steel (Atlanta, Ga.) contributed with 4.5 points, including three kills, an ace and a block assist and picked up four digs. Junior setter Pati Cerda (Wellesley Hills, Mass.) set for 10 assists, scooped up five digs, served up an ace and got up for a pair of block assists. First year libero Mia Jessen (La Jolla, Calif.) recorded 15 digs for Hamilton.
The Lyons opened the first set with five straight points as part of a 10-3 lead, including five kills from Mazzanti. The Continentals scored four straight points to close within 10-7 and maintained a three-point margin at 15-12, before Wheaton ripped off seven of the next eight points to take a 22-13 advantage. Henn put down three kills during the Lyons' run. The teams traded three points each before Wheaton took the frame, 25-16.
The teams were knotted at 5-5 early in the middle frame, before Henn spiked for a pair of kills and fired an ace as part of four unanswered points to give Wheaton a 9-5 cushion. Hamilton put together an 8-3 burst to claim a 13-12 lead and later held a 16-15 edge. The Lyons roared back with a 10-2 blitz to close out the set, behind a pair of aces from Orbán and two kills from Lyon, to take a two-set lead after a 25-18 set victory.
The Continentals got out to a 7-4 lead early in the third frame, before Wheaton reeled off seven straight points, including four kills from Henn, to give the Lyons an 11-7 margin. Hamilton punched back with a 6-1 burst, capped by an ace from junior setter Claire Cooper (Chevy Chase, Md.), to give the home team a 13-12 edge. The Continentals maintained a 14-13 lead, but Wheaton scored six of the next seven points to take a 19-15 lead following a Henn kill. Hamilton countered again, scoring eight of the next nine points, including three kills from Stimson, to give it a 23-20 lead. The Lyons scored the next three points, including a kill from junior middle hitter Hollis Hanson (Parker, Colo.) to pull Wheaton even at 23-23. Stimson put the Continentals just a point away from winning the set with a kill, but the Lyons closed out the match with three straight points, including the final kill from Orbán to give Wheaton a 26-24 set win and a match sweep.
