NEW LONDON, Conn. – After falling behind a set, the Lesley University women's volleyball team reeled off wins in the next three to pick up a 3-1(24-26, 25-21, 25-19, 25-14) victory at Mitchell College on Saturday afternoon in the New England Collegiate Conference women's volleyball opener for both squads.
Lesley improved to 7-6 overall and starts conference play at 1-0 while Mitchell dropped to 2-8 overall and 0-1 in the conference.
Lynx sophomore Kaylee Deluga (Dennis, Mass.) led all players with a career-high 20 kills and was one of three Lynx players in double digits. Classmate Anni Abbruzzese (Croton on Hudson, N.Y.) finished with 12 kills and a match-high 22 digs while fellow sophomore Ciara Bruning (Centerville, Mass.) chipped in with 10 kills and four block assists. Senior setter Emily Marden (Fremont, Calif.) handed out a match-high 48 assists, coming just two shy of the Lynx four set record of 50 set by Kaitlyn Miller '13 in 2010.
Emily Stracuzzi and Myia Williams each recorded eight kills to lead the Mariners while Amanda Garcia chipped in with seven. Nicole Caminiti dished out 32 assists while Kaisea Caramante added a team-high 19 digs.
The Mariners looked to be in control in the opening set with a 23-16 lead, but the Lynx came storming back to win eight of the next nine points to pull even at 24-24. A kill by Stracuzzi put Mitchell back on top, and Caminiti followed with a kill into the back corner to secure the set.
The second set was back and forth throughout. Mitchell took its largest lead at 19-16 on another kill by Stracuzzi, but Lesley won the next four points to go back on top. The Mariners pulled back into the lead at 21-20 on a service ace by Stracuzzi, but it would be their last point of the set. Bruning tied the score with a kill on the ensuing rally, and Jessie Reynolds (Londonderry, N.H.) served out the final four points as the Lynx evened the match at 1-1.
Deluga came up big in the third set with seven kills on eight attacks. The Mariners led 15-9 midway through the stanza but failed to capitalize. The Lynx came back to tie the match on Marden's serve, and later back-to-back kills by Deluga put the visitors in front for good at 19-18. Lesley won eight of the last nine points in the set and closed it out on a service ace by Danielle McDonald.
Mitchell fell behind early in the fourth set and never recovered, committing seven of their 19 errors in the final stanza. Lesley jumped out to an 11-5 lead and widened the gap thanks to seven straight points at the service stripe from Deluga. Bruning provided the final kill as the Lynx totaled 56 on the day against only 26 errors.
Lesley returns to action at Daniel Webster College on Tuesday, October 6 at 7:00p while Mitchell will next play at Southern Vermont College on Sunday, October 11 at 1:00p.
Release courtesy Mitchell College Sports Information