CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After dropping the first set, the Lesley University women's volleyball team stormed back to win the next three consecutively to top Mount Ida College 3-1 tonight at Buckingham, Browne, and Nichols. With the victory, the Lynx improve to 2-4 on the season while the Mustangs fall to 2-11. After losing the opening set 25-20, Lesley needed to go into extra points in the second, third, and fourth to secure the victory with set scores of 30-28, 26-24, and 26-24.
Sophomore Danielle McDonald (Lilitz, Pa.) and junior Anthea Rathjens (Sudbury, Mass.) led the Lynx offense with six kills apiece while senior Katrina Stroganoff (Cedar Grove, N.J.) and sophomore Katey Carew (Salem, N.H.) provided a strong defensive effort, finishing with 16 and 15 kills, respectively.
Mount Ida junior Hilary Kostner (Corona, Calif.) finished with a match-high 14 kills while sophomore libero Kelcey Koolman (Bedford, N.H.) led both teams with 29 digs. Junior Nicole Peixoto (New Bedford, Mass.) dished out 31 assists for the Mustangs, also a match high.
The first set was tight throughout before Mount Ida, who led 15-14 at the time, took advantage of a slew of Lynx errors to go on a 10-5 run capped by an Abbey Fedigan (New Fairfield, Conn.) kill to take the opener 25-20.
In the second set, a Stroganoff slam pushed the Lynx lead to 17-13, but the Mustangs would stop Lesley's momentum with a kill from freshman Katelyn Wickert (Chesapeake, Va.) and eventually knot the game at 17 apiece due to three consecutive Lynx errors. The teams would exchange points from then until a McDonald kill and Mount Ida error lifted Lesley to a 30-28 second set victory.
Lesley once again jumped out to take a lead in the third set, holding a 19-11 advantage. However, six straight Lynx errors and a Kostner kill allowed the Mustangs right back in, trailing only by one. Mount Ida would eventually tie the set at 24-24 before back-to-back kills from McDonald and Rathjens gave Lesley a 26-24 set win.
In the fourth set, it was the home team that needed to make a comeback. Trailing 23-19, the Lynx took advantage of six Mount Ida errors and a McDonald kill to close out the set, 26-24.
The Lynx will be back at home on Thursday, September 19th when they play host to St. Joseph's College (Me.) in another non-conference tilt. The Mustangs are off until next Monday, September 23rd when they host Bridgewater State University at 6:00p.