CAMBRIDGE, MA – Named NECC Player of the Week by day, Lesley's Amanda McCracken ended Suffolk's night, accounting for the Lynx last six points in a come-from-behind 16-14 Game 5 victory Monday night at Buckingham, Browne & Nichols.

     The sophomore went for 23 kills and six blocks on the night, igniting a rally in which Lesley came back from a 4-8 deficit in the deciding set and sending her team to a 3-2 victory, 24-26, 25-17, 20-25, 27-25, 16-14.

     A McCracken (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) block put Lesley ahead 23-21 late in the opening set, but the Rams answered with three straight points off Maggie Hillman (North Andover, MA/Central Catholic) serves to go up 24-23. Leading 25-24, a Kate Miller (Leesport, PA/Schuykill Valley) return error gave Suffolk a 26-24 victory.

     Lesley opened up an early lead in Game 2, going ahead 6-2 on a McCracken kill. After head coach Heather Cox's first timeout, Suffolk got to within 13-8 on a block and a kill from Kelly Loder (Billerica, MA/Billerica Memorial), but it was as close as the Rams would get as Lesley went on to a 25-17 win.

       Neither team distanced itself in the early part of Game 3, but the Rams eventually gained some distance with some help from the Lynx. Jacqueline Dugas' (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs) kill put Suffolk in front 15-12, and the visitors opened up a 17-12 lead following back-to-back Lesley return errors. Two service aces in a row from Julie Sullivan (Haverhill, MA/Haverhill) put the Rams ahead 24-20, putting the Rams in front 2-1 on the match.

     Suffolk looked poised to take the match after opening up an early four-point lead after two Loder blocks. Another McCracken kill brought the Lynx to within two, 9-11, and a Loder kill error tied it 16-16.

     The remainder of the match featured the NECC Player of the Week going head-to-head with Suffolk's hitters at the net. McCracken tied the game with a kill at 22-22, and the 5-11 sophomore traded kills with Dugas until the set was tied 24-24. A Loder kill error put Lesley up 26-25, and the Lynx completed the comeback to force a final set, winning 27-25.

     The early portion of the deciding set was all Loder, as the 5-11 senior opened up with a block and a pair of kills to go ahead 2-4, then 2-6 with Loder serving. Suffolk led 4-8 as the teams traded sides, but some help from her friends was all McCracken needed before taking over down the stretch.

     A kill from freshman Victoria Ashley (Coventry, RI/Coventry) got the Lynx to within three, 5-8, and kills from Meghan Chadwick (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford) and Kaitlyn Wechsler (Mernick, NY/Our Lady Mercy) tied the set 9-9. Two McCormick blocks tied the game back up at 13-13, and three kills from the Lynx middle hitter gave TJ Hajjar's team a 16-14 win.

     Megan Ortwein (Shanghai, China/American School) led Lesley with 25 digs, while Wechsler added nine kills.

     Lesley moves to 6-5 overall (5-5 versus Division III), and Suffolk falls to 4-8.
     
     The Lynx return to play Thursday at Mount Ida at 6 p.m., while the Rams play host to Daniel Webster tomorrow at 7 p.m.