Oct. 28, 2010

Box Score

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College women's volleyball team closed out its regular season home slate on Thursday with a 3-2 (17-25, 25-18, 15-25, 25-18, 10-15) loss to non-conference foe Emmanuel College on Senior Night in Emerson Gymnasium.

Winners in eight of their nine series meetings against the Saints prior to tonight's action, the Lyons fell to 10-19 on the season, while Emmanuel extended its winning streak to six matches to improve to 15-13.

Sophomore Christina Cannon (Milford, NH/Milford) led Wheaton's hitters with 13 kills, while freshman Lindsay Tebbetts (Gilmanton, NH/Gilford) added nine. Senior Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) totaled 33 assists and 24 digs.

Junior Emily Davisson (Carpinteria, CA/Laguna Blanca School) turned in a match-high 26 digs, while sophomore Olanna Nissim (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich) had nine. Senior Kaitlyn Stokes (Tewksbury, MA/Tewksbury Memorial) and sophomore Rachel Vergara (Needham, MA/Needham) recorded five blocks each, with Vergara adding eight digs.

Emmanuel juniors Jenna Ross (Centerburg, OH/Centerburg) and Rebecca Stanton (Quincy, MA/North Quincy) accounted for 15 kills apiece, while classmate Kathryne Olsen (Fairhaven, MA/Fairhaven) had 44 assists and 18 digs. Sophomore Samantha Andazola (Queen Creek, AZ/Mountain View) and senior Megan Clary (Cumberland, RI/Mount Saint Charles) finished with 24 and 17 digs, respectively.

Wheaton held a narrow 13-12 edge in the opening set, but the visitors answered with six straight points en route to the eight-point win. The Lyons trailed 13-12 in the second set before going on a run of their own, using a 10-2 spurt to lead 22-15 and eventually tie the match.

In the third set, the hosts didn't recover after a slow start, as the Saints jumped out to an 11-3 advantage. Wheaton would get no closer than five points at 13-8 before Emmanuel went on a 9-2 run and didn't look back.

The Lyons began the fourth contest with a 10-4 lead and maintained at least a four-point edge the rest of the way to force the final set. Wheaton knotted the fifth set at nine after trailing 8-6, but the Saints scored six of the last seven points to clinch the win.

The Saints will host a tri-match on Saturday with Norwich and Suffolk to close out the regular season.

-Courtesy of Wheaton Athletics.