PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Three different players recorded double-digit kills for the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's volleyball team in a 3-1 (25-18, 25-19, 22-25, 25-23) loss this evening to host Rhode Island College at The Murray Center in Providence, R.I.
The Lyons slip to 8-12 on the season, while the Anchorwomen improve to 9-10.
Rhode Island College posted a .150 hitting percentage, including .241 in the second set, while Wheaton hit .131.
Senior outside hitter Celina Henn (Atwater, Calif.) swung for 13 kills on a .250 hitting mark to go with a pair of aces and eight digs for the Lyons, while classmate Sydney Lyon (Weston, Conn.) put down 14 kills and picked up 10 digs to record her fifth double-double of the season. Junior right side hitter Mary Caroline Mazzanti (New Orleans, La.) put away a dozen kills and added two digs and a pair of block assists. Junior libero Jackie Hochberg (Tampa, Fla.) averaged nearly seven digs a set with 27 to go with eight assists and a kill and junior setter Ajsa Orbán (Budapest, Hungary) set for 17 assists, picked up six digs and got up for a block assist.
The Anchorwomen were led by junior middle hitter Andrayah Williams (North Providence, R.I.) with 10 kills on a .400 hitting mark to go with two digs and four total blocks. Junior outside hitter Sarina Marines (Cranston, R.I.) swung for nine kills, fired a pair of aces and scooped up 10 digs, while senior middle hitter Sydnee Pires (Rochester, Mass.) contributed with seven kills, three digs and a trio of three total blocks. Junior setter Yuleisy Alvelo (San Juan, Puerto Rico) set for 20 assists in addition to four digs and an ace, while junior libero Carolyn Bailey (Ipswich, Mass.) got down for 19 digs for Rhode Island College.
The Anchorwomen tallied the first four points of the opening set, before the Lyons put together a 10-3 stretch, including a pair of kills from Lyon, to take a 10-7 margin. Wheaton later maintained a 15-11 lead, but Rhode Island College came alive to close out the frame with a torrid 14-3 run, paced by a pair of kills and two aces from Marines, to give the home team a 25-18 opening set win.
Mazzanti put down a kill to pull the Lyons even at 3-3 in the second set, before the Anchorwomen went on a 15-6 stretch to take an 18-9 advantage, behind a pair of kills each from Pires and sophomore right side hitter Olivia Rollinson (Coventry, R.I.). Pires later put away a kill to increase Rhode Island College's cushion to double-digits at 22-12. Wheaton battled back with seven of the next eight points, fueled by five kills from Henn, to pull the visitors within 23-19. The Anchorwomen tallied the next two points to take the set and a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Lyons captured the third set to extend the match to a fourth set. Rhode Island College took an early 9-6 lead, but Wheaton ripped off eight straight points, including four kills from Mazzanti, to take a 14-9 margin. The Anchorwomen scored seven of the next eight points, led by a pair of kills from Williams, to take a 16-15 edge. Rhode Island College later owned a 22-20 margin, before the Lyons scored the final five points, including an ace from Henn to give them the set at 25-22 for a 2-1 count in the match.
Wheaton opened an early 5-1 lead, capped by a kill from Henn and later maintained a 13-8 margin following a kill from Lyon. The Anchorwomen pulled ahead at 17-15 after a 9-2 surge, but the Lyons received a pair of kills from Mazzanti during a 5-1 burst to reclaim the advantage at 20-18. The teams were deadlocked at 21-21, before Rhode Island College scored four of the final six points, including three kills from Williams, to take the frame and the match.
Wheaton returns to the court on Saturday, October 18 when it hosts United States Coast Guard Academy at 11:00 a.m. and Framingham State University for its Senior Day match at 3:00 p.m. at Emerson Gymnasium, while The Anchorwomen host Regis College (Mass.) tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.
