HAVERFORD, Pa. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's volleyball team came roaring back from a 2-0 deficit, but fell short in the fifth set, 16-14, in a 3-2 loss to Stockton University this evening in the season opener for both schools as part of the 2024 Haverford Invitational, hosted by Haverford College at Gooding Arena in Haverford, Pa.

The Lyons dip to 0-1, while the Ospreys improve to 1-0.

Wheaton hit .143 or better in all five sets to finish the contest with a .219 mark, while holding Stockton to a .024 mark in the third set and a .188 figure in the fourth frame. 

Junior outside hitter Sydney Lyon (Weston, Conn.) matched her career high with 25 kills on a .286 hitting mark in addition to nine digs and a trio of aces for the Lyons. Sophomore right side hitter Mary Caroline Mazzanti (New Orleans, La.) put down 13 kills and committed just one attack error to fuel an impressive .545 hitting clip. Junior outside hitter Celina Henn (Atwater, Calif.) contributed with a double-double of 10 kills and 12 digs, while sophomore setter Ajsa Orbán (Budapest, Hungary) made her collegiate debut with 43 assists to lead all players, seven digs and a pair of aces after missing all of last season with an injury. Sophomore libero Jackie Hochberg (Tampa, Fla.) got down for a match-high 22 digs.

Sophomore right side hitter Nicole Palmer (East Islip, N.Y.) led the Ospreys with 20 kills and hit .289 in addition to 11 digs, while sophomore outside hitter Rileigh Wilson (Milton, Del.) swung for 11 kills. Junior setter Regan Mendick (Newark, Del.) doled out 26 assists and picked up eight digs and sophomore defensive specialist Lauren Sommer (York, Pa.) scooped up 14 digs to go with an ace.

Stockton pulled away late in a tight opening set, scoring four unanswered points to take the frame 25-21. Wheaton pulled even at 21-21, following an Osprey hitting error, but Stockton regrouped and junior outside hitter Kate Louer (Clifton, N.J.) put down a pair of kills in the Osprey's key run to close out the frame. 

Stockton led by as many as seven points for most of the second set and claimed a 19-8 advantage, before the Lyons shook off the opening blitz with a 10-2 stretch that saw them claw to within 21-18 behind four kills from Mazzanti. The Ospreys again proved too much down the stretch, winning four of the next six points, including a pair of kills from Wilson to win the frame, 25-20 to take a 2-0 match lead.

Stockton led just once in a third set that Wheaton had well in hand for most of the frame, en-route to a 25-20 win to pull within 2-1 in the match. The Ospreys pulled within 22-20, but three straight points sealed the set for the Lyons. Stockton's only edge came at 13-12 and it was within 15-14, but a 5-2 burst paced by two kills from Lyon gave Wheaton enough of a cushion to control the outcome.

Wheaton never trailed in the fourth set, but held off five straight points that made it a two-point deficit for the Ospreys before Lyon put down a kill to give the Lyons a 25-22 set win. Stockton cut the margin to 14-11 earlier in the set, but Wheaton put together a 9-3 stretch, buoyed by four kills from Henn, to increase its advantage to 23-14.

The Ospreys score four of the first five points to open the fifth and deciding frame, but the Lyons battled back with a 7-2 blitz, including a kill and an ace from Orban to give Wheaton an 8-6 margin. Stockton reeled off the next five points, including the second kill of the run for senior middle hitter Jaylah Rolle (Williamstown, N.J.) to push the Osprey's to an 11-8 advantage. Stockton never trailed after the burst. The Ospreys were one point away from winning the match at 14-11 after a Palmer kill, but a pair of kills from Lyon, sandwiched around an ace from Henn, evened the score the Lyons at 14-14. Stockton picked up the final two points to come away with the win.