NEWPORT, R.I. – Junior outside hitter Sydney Lyon (Weston, Conn.) swung for a match-high 22 kills and classmate Hollis Hanson (Parker, Colo.) spiked for a career-high 18 kills to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's volleyball team to a 3-2 (20-25, 25-18, 25-20, 24-26, 15-11) victory over host Salve Regina University this evening in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Rodgers Recreation Center in Newport, R.I.
The Lyons improve to 9-18 overall and 1-8 in league play, while the Seahawks fall to 8-16 and 3-6.
Wheaton hit .244 for the match, including a strong attack in the final four sets with marks of .364, .387, .227 and .333 in the final four frames. Salve Regina hit .186 for the match.
The Lyons took sets two and three to take a 2-1 match lead, before the Seahawks forced a deciding fifth set following a marathon 26-24 fourth frame win.
Lyon hit .292 and added an ace and five digs, while Hanson committed just one attack error to post a blistering .654 hitting mark in addition to picking up a dig and getting up for a block assist. Junior outside hitter Celina Henn (Atwater, Calif.) registered her seventh double-double for the season with 10 kills and 15 digs to go with an ace and sophomore right side hitter Mary Caroline Mazzanti (New Orleans, La.) tallied 11.5 points, including eight kills, two aces, a pair of total blocks and three digs. Sophomore setter Ajsa Orbán (Budapest, Hungary) matched her career best with 45 assists and picked up six digs in addition to an ace and a block assist.
Junior outside hitter Lucy Swanson (West Yarmouth, Mass.) put away 22 kills on a .452 hitting clip to go with 13 digs, while junior right side hitter Lauren Hoyle (Albany, N.Y.) scored with 12 kills on a .308 success rate and added three digs. Senior setter Siena DeCicco (Severna Park, Md.) set for 39 assists, fired an ace, got down for six digs and got up for a block assist.
Salve Regina held a 4-3 edge to open the fifth set, before Wheaton scored six of the next seven points, including three kills from Hanson, to take a 9-5 lead. That was all the Lyons would need. First year outside hitter Lauren Shurling (Hudson, Mass.) put down a kill to pull the Seahawks within 11-8, but Wheaton scored the next three points to put it one away from taking the match. Salve Regina responded with three unanswered points of its own to make it 14-11, before the Lyons tallied the final point of the night.
The Seahawks flew out to a commanding 17-6 advantage in the opening set, fueled by four kills from Swanson. Wheaton fought back with a 10-3 stretch, led by a trio of kills from Lyon, to cut the deficit to 20-16. Hanson brought Wheaton even closer with a kill to make it 23-20, before Salve Regina notched the final two points, including the final kill from Swanson to give the home team the first frame.
The Seahawks held an early 4-2 margin, before the Lyons ripped off seven of the next eight points, paced by an ace and a kill from Henn, to give the visitors a 9-5 lead. Salve Regina scored four of the next five to close within a point at 10-9, but it was temporary anxiety for Wheaton, which regrouped with a 9-3 string, backed by three kills and an ace from Lyon, to give the Lyons a more comfortable 19-12 cushion. The Seahawks later closed within 22-18 after a Swanson kill, but Wheaton scored the final three points to even the match.
The Lyons continued their momentum with a 12-5 lead, capped by a pair of aces from Mazzanti, to open the third frame. Salve Regina shot back with a 5-1 burst, including an ace from junior middle hitter Lydia Daskalos (Hollis, N.H.) to cut the deficit to 13-10 for the Seahawks. Wheaton put some daylight between it and the home squad with a 9-3 stretch that featured three kills from Hanson to give it a 22-13 advantage. A kill from Lyon gave the Lyons match point at 24-16, but Salve Regina scored four straight to pull within 24-20. Wheaton nailed down the set with the final point and took a 2-1 lead in the match.
The Lyons looked to take the match in four sets with an early 9-5 lead, including a pair of kills from Hanson, but the Seahawks returned the favor with a 9-3 stretch to take a 14-12 margin. Wheaton punched back with four of the next five points to take a 16-15 edge. Salve Regina sat on set point after a Swanson kill gave the Seahawks a 24-22 lead. The Lyons knotted the frame at 24-24 for the 13th tie of the set, after a Hanson kill, but Salve Regina scored the final two points, including a kill from Hoyle to deliver the set win.
Wheaton returns to the court on Thursday, October 31 when it hosts Simmons University at Emerson Gymnasium for a 7:00 p.m. start, while the Seahawks are back at it next week with a NEWMAC road match in Springfield, Mass. against Springfield College at 7:00 p.m.
