WORCESTER, Mass. – Junior setter Ajsa Orbán (Budapest, Hungary) put down a career-high 10 kills and added 16 assists to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's volleyball team over host Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 3-0 (25-14, 25-11, 25-12), this evening in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Harrington Auditorium in Worcester, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 12-16 overall and 3-7 in league play, while the Engineers slip to 10-16 and 2-8.
Wheaton hit .360 or better in every set and finished the match with a season-high .432 hitting percentage, while holding WPI to a paltry -.041.
Orban dominated the Engineers' net with a dump attack throughout the match, recording a blistering .769 hitting mark to go with four total blocks, including a solo and a pair of digs. It was her third double-double of the season for the Lyons. Senior outside hitter Celina Henn (Atwater, Calif.) swung for 13 kills on a formidable .455 hitting mark to go with seven digs, two aces and a block assist. Senior outside hitter Sydney Lyon (Weston, Conn.) contributed with nine kills on a .450 hitting clip and added eight digs and a block solo, while junior libero Jackie Hochberg (Tampa, Fla.) picked up a match-high 10 digs and fired an ace.
First year middle blocker Olivia Hutchinson (Erie, Pa.) and senior outside hitter Fiona Gillis (Manchester, N.H.) each recorded four kills for WPI. Sophomore setter Preslie Jerebker (Denver, Colo.) paced the Engineers with eight assists and five digs and first year setter Lauren Boycourt (San Diego, Calif.) contributed six assists and nine digs.
Wheaton never trailed through the first two sets. The Lyons hit .406 in the opening frame and raced out to a 12-5 lead, paced by a pair of kills from Orbán. The Engineers got two points back to pull within 12-7 and stayed within 18-12 following a kill from first year setter Amelia Lynch (Charlottesville, Va.). Wheaton scored seven of the final nine points of the set, fueled by a pair of kills each from Henn and senior middle hitter Julia Wingler (Fuquay Varina, N.C.), to take the set.
The Lyons opened a commanding 14-4 cushion behind two kills and a pair of aces from Henn to begin the second frame. WPI tallied three of the next five points to cut the deficit to 17-9, but Wheaton put together an 8-2 run, paced by a pair of kills from Lyon, to close out the second set with a 25-11 decision.
The Engineers knotted the frame early at 4-4 after a kill from Gillis. It was as close as they would get for the rest of the match. The Lyons ripped off eight of the next nine points, including six straight points, fueled by a pair of kills from Lyon and Orbán, to take a 12-5 advantage. WPI scored three of the next four points to cut the difference to 13-8 on a Hutchinson kill. The Engineers remained within striking distance at 17-11 after another kill from Gillis, but Wheaton put the match away with eight of the final nine kills, including a trio of kills from Lyon.
The Lyons return to the court on Saturday, November 8 when they host Mount Holyoke College in NEWMAC action at Emerson Gymnasium at 12:00 p.m., while WPI hosts league foe Salve Regina University on the same day at 1:00 p.m.
