Wildcats Host Lyons and Hornets in Season Opener Tri-Match

Wildcats Host Lyons and Hornets in Season Opener Tri-Match

HOLYOKE, Mass.- The Mount Holyoke Lyons went undefeated for the day taking six straight sets on the day defeating host Bay Path 3-0 and then taking Lyndon State 3-0 for the season opener. In the final match despite a back and forth score, the Wildcats succumbed to the Hornets  3-0 in the longest match of the day. Junior Libero Kacie Bayreuther finished the day with 28 digs, five kills and two service aces.

Game One: Bay Path opened up their 2013 campaign falling in three games to visiting Mount Holyoke College 25-10, 25-8 and 25-9. The Lyons were led by sophomore outside hitter Emma Sweeting (Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.) with a .320 attack percentage tallying match high eleven kills. Sweeting also chipped in eight service aces.  Fellow Lyon junior outside hitter Rebecca Bland (Durham, N.C.) hit a sizzling .600 for the match with six kills and added six service aces.

Defensively the Lyons were topped by defensive specialist Kaleen Iwema (Wadsworth, Ill.) with seven digs. Bay Path's junior Libero Kacie Bayreuther (East Lyme, Conn.) led all players with a match high 14 digs. Bayreuther also added two kills. Senior outside hitter/setter Kate Bartels (Dalton, Mass.) also chipped in two kills and four assists.

Game Two: For the second straight match the Lyons of Mount Holyoke proved victorious defeating the visiting Hornets of Lyndon State in the second match of the tri-match 25-17, 25-19 and 25-22. Iwema topped all players with nine kills. She added three service aces and five digs. Following close was Sweeting with eight kills, two service aces, five digs, one block solo and one block assist. The Lyons Libero Athena Donta (Hadley, Mass.) led all players on the defense front with 13 digs, while junior setter Stephanie Yang (Glen Allen, Va.) finished with 13 assists.

Despite a six point lead early in the third game the Hornets were unable to force the fourth set. Senior outside hitter Morgan Diltz (Moultonborough, N.H.) finished with a .300 attack percentage with five kills, four digs and two block assists. Fellow senior and outside hitter Sarah Adams (Alton, N.H.) also produced five kills and chipped in seven digs.

Game Three: Lyndon State took the third match 25-18, 25-22 and 25-22. The Hornets easily won the first game taking advantage of some errors made by Bay Path. The Wildcats then regrouped under new head coach Grace Novacek and played the final two games hard with the score flip-flopping all the way to 25.

The Wildcats almost tripled their kill tally from the first match of 9 against the Lyons to 24 in the nightcap. Leading the way was sophomore middle hitter Elizabeth Haylette (Terryville, Conn.) with seven kills and one block.

Bartels and sophomore middle hitter Gladys Reed (Hamden, Conn.) combined for eight kills. Bartels had four digs and Reed finished with three. Freshman setter Aaliyah Gordon (Springfield, Mass.) tallied 15 assists and five digs.

The Hornets were led by Adams with five kills once again and a trio of Lyndon State players tallied four kills apiece. Stahl included also added nine assists and five digs.

Bay Path will be back in action hosting a tourney on Saturday, September 7^th beginning at 10:00 a.m. with the following teams Pine Manor, Anna Maria and New Rochelle.