Norton, Mass. - Clark rallied from down 2-1 to
take a dramatic 3-2 decision over host Wheaton College, improving
its chances at qualifying for the NEWMAC Tournament in the process
while improving its record to 8-15 overall and 3-5 in conference
play.
The Lyons fell to 17-14 overall and 2-6 in the league, as they slid
into a tie for eighth in the league with Worcester Polytechnic
Institute (WPI).
Sophomore Miranda Howitt turned in a double-double for Wheaton with
23 kills and 14 digs, while senior Lauren Kraus had eight kills and
five aces in her final match in Emerson Gymnasium. Junior Becca
Rose turned in 49 assists and 15 digs, while sophomore Lauren
McGrath (had five blocks.
Defensively, sophomore Emily Davisson led the Lyons with 25 digs,
while junior Kristen Hunt and freshman Olanna Nissim had 17 digs
apiece.
Sophomore Nicole
Sullivan (Marshfield, Mass.) paced Clark with 15 kills
and five blocks, while classmate Kristin
McGinty (Vail, Colo.) also had 15 kills. Freshman
Emily
Sullivan (Nashua, N.H.) dished out a career-high 54
assists, while senior Emily
Visone (West Hempstead, N.Y.) and sophomore Kortney
Kelley (Barnstable, Mass.) notched 26 digs apiece.
The Lyons captured each of the first two sets, leading by as many
as six points in the opening set before a Kraus kill clinched the
1-0 edge. In the second set, the hosts scored the first four points
before 13 ties ensued, the last of which occurred at 21 while the
Lyons were on a set-ending 5-1 run. Nissim had a pair of kills in
that stretch.
In the third set, a Wheaton 23-21 lead was washed out by the
Cougars, who scored the final four points after calling a timeout,
with Nicole Sullivan landing a kill at set point. The teams played
to five deadlocks in the fourth set before Wheaton grabbed a 20-16
edge, but Clark scored the next four points before snapping a
23-all tie, knotting the match on a McGinty kill.
Clark blew open a 6-5 fifth set with four straight points, but the
Lyons rallied from a later 12-7 deficit to make it 12-11 behind a
pair of aces by Kraus. However, freshman ToniMarie
Illuzzi's (Manorville, N.Y.) kill capped Clark's
match-ending 3-0 run.
