Wildcats Smoke Hornets in Season Opener

HOLYOKE, Mass.- Freshman defensive specialist Katelynn Hannan (Troy, N.Y.) guided the Wildcats to a 3-1 season opener victory defeating the Hornets of Lyndon State with the game high 14 points. She tallied an amazing nine service aces for her collegiate debut. Bay Path started slow allowing the Hornets to take game one 25-18, but came back strong in the second set shutting Lyndon State down 25-14 and never looked back winning the next two sets 25-18 and 26-24.

Hannan patrolled the court notching seven digs with match high 23 receptions and only one reception error for the day for a great debut of passing as a Wildcat. She also added five kills. Senior setter and team leader Ashley Provost (Ludlow, Mass.) had a match high 34 assists while chipping in three kills, six digs and three service aces. She finished the match with a setting percentage of .291 and a match-high attack percentage at .286 for the opener.

Freshman and fellow defensive specialist Amanda McEntee (Walton, N.Y.) tied for the team high in digs with seven. McEntee had three aces. Offensively, returners' sophomore outside hitter Kacie Bayreuther (East Lyme, Conn.) and junior middle hitter Kate Bartels (Dalton, Mass.) combined for 23 points. Bayreuther notched the match high 10 kills and added four digs (17 receptions). Bartels added eight kills, six digs and four service aces.

Leading the way for the Hornets was junior outside hitter Morgan Diltz (Moultonboro, N.H.) with five kills and eight digs. Senior outside hitter Jessica Walsh (North Kingstown, R.I.) wasn't far behind chipping in four kills and six digs. Defensively, freshman setter Laura Drake (Hinsdale, Mass.) notched a match high 13 digs while putting up eight assists.

Both teams battled in the fourth set with the score knotted eight times. The Wildcats were able to step up in the final two points with Bartels and Provost slamming the final two kills to clinch the victory.

Bay Path is now 1-0 on the season while Lyndon State falls to 0-3. The Wildcats will be back in action Wednesday, September 5^th hosting St. Joseph (Conn.) at a 7:00 p.m. start.

Box Score: http://athletics.baypath.edu/sports/wvball/2012-13/boxscores/20120901_gwg3.xml