NORTON, Mass. – Senior Celina Henn (Atwater, Calif.) (14) and classmate Sydney Lyon (Weston, Conn.) (13) combined for 27 kills to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-21) victory this morning at Emerson Gymnasium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 5-6 in their home opener, while the Fighting Scots dip to 9-4.
Wheaton got off to a hot start with its offense, hitting a torrid .545 in the opening set as part of a .320 hitting clip for the match. Gordon was held to a .094 hitting percentage.
Henn hit .417 for the match and added seven digs, an ace and a block assist for the Lyons, while Lyon hit .286 to go with a career-high five block assists and three digs. Junior right side hitter Mary Caroline Mazzanti (New Orleans, La.) contributed with eight kills on a formidable .471 hitting mark in addition to a pair of block assists and a dig. Junior setter Ajsa Orbán (Budapest, Hungary) directed the offense with 28 assists to go with five digs and two total blocks. Junior libero Jackie Hochberg (Tampa, Fla.) was outstanding on the defensive end with 21 digs.
Senior right side hitter Maria Clarabuch (Sant Cugat Del Valles, Spain) led the Fighting Scots with nine kills and four block assists to go with a dig, while junior outside hitter Annie Zimmerman (Austin, Texas) put down eight kills on a .250 hitting clip and added five digs. Junior setter Annika Schmitt (Quincy, Mass.) set for 18 assists, fired four aces, picked up five digs and got up for a block assist and junior libero Amanda Pierce (Johnston, R.I.) got down for nine digs.
Gordon led early in every set of the match and erased a 3-1 deficit by scoring six of the next seven points to take a 7-4 lead, fueled by a pair of aces from Schmitt in the first set. Wheaton put together a 15-4 stretch, including seven straight points, to take a 19-11 advantage. Senior middle hitter Julia Wingler (Fuquay Varina, N.C.) contributed with a pair of kills and an ace and junior defensive specialist Arianna Tanksley (Chesapeak, Va.) served up two aces during the run. The Fighting Scots closed within 21-16 after an ace from sophomore outside hitter Haley Hutzler (Long Island, N.Y.). The Lyons closed out the set with the final four points, including a pair of kills from Lyon and an ace from Tanksley.
Gordon raced out to an 8-2 advantage, including a pair of kills from both Zimmerman and Clarabuch. Wheaton ripped off the next six points, paced by a pair of kills from Mazzanti, to pull even at 8-8. The teams were still locked at 10-10, before the Lyons scored seven of the next eight points, fueled by four kills from Henn, to take a 17-11 margin. The Fighting Scots tallied four of the next five points, capped by an ace from Schmitt, to pull within 18-15. Wheaton held off its guests to set up Henn for a kill to give it the frame at 25-20.
As it had for the balance of the match, Gordon took the early advantage with a 12-5 score following a kill from Clarabuch. The Fighting Scots later owned a 16-10 cushion, but the Lyons roared back with a 10-1 run, including six straight points and three kills from Mazzanti, to give the home team a 21-17 margin. Clarabuch put down a pair of kills and Pierce fired an ace to keep Gordon within two at 23-21, but Wheaton scored the final two points, including a block from Wingler and Lyon to take the set and the match for the Lyons.
Both teams will take on Keene State College as part of a tri-match. The Fighting Scots at 1:00 p.m. and Wheaton at 3:00 p.m.
