Volleyball Takes Second Straight Match with 3-1 Win Over Wheaton

WELLESLEY, Mass. -- Wellesley College senior Nicole Doerges (San Marino, Calif.) recorded a game-high 22 kills and 12 digs to lead the Blue volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-18, 24-26, 25-18, 25-16) New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) victory over visiting Wheaton College on Tuesday evening at Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse. 

The Blue earned consecutive victories for the first time this season to improve to 4-7 overall and 2-4 in the NEWMAC. The loss snaps a four-game win streak for Wheaton, as the Lyons move to 12-6 on the year (2-4 NEWMAC). 

Wellesley junior TylerBell Smith (Frisco, Texas) dominated at the net, joining Doerges in double-figures with 12 kills on 24 attempts (.417) while adding six block assists and one solo block. In the back row, junior libero Claire Bialek (Brookline, Mass.) collected a team-high 15 digs and senior DS Lizzy Jessen (Burbank, Calif.) added 11 digs. Senior setter Izzy Seebold (Concord, N.C.) dished out 38 assists to six different Wellesley attackers in the contest. 

Junior libero Ariana Rajee (Marlborough, Conn.) paced Wheaton with 17 digs, while Emily Hickey (Kennebunk, Maine) had a team-high seven kills. The Lyons got kills from nine different players but could not find a rhythm on offense, finishing the match with a .000 attack percentage. Adara Hamilton (Mercer Island, Wash.) added four kills and 13 digs for the visitors.

The Blue quickly got off to a 3-0 start in set one, with kills from both Smith and Seebold. After the Lyons came back and the set was notched at 6-6, Wellesley exploded for a 7-0 run and took a commanding lead. While Wheaton fought back to make it a four-point game, the Blue earned the final point of set one with a block from Doerges and Smith and a 25-18 win. Set two remained within four points the entire stretch, with the Blue eventually down 24-20. After a much needed timeout, Wellesley stormed back with a 4-0 run to tie the set. However, a kill from Madrzyk and a service ace from Rajaee gave the Lyons a 26-24 win.

Wellesley would not falter, jumping out to a 13-7 lead in the middle of the third. Smith would record four kills, including three clutch kills late to secure a set and give Wellesley a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth. Once again the Blue jumped out of the gate hot and sprung to a 11-4 advantage. There would be no recovery for the Lyons, as Doerges recorded four consecutive Wellesley kills. The Blue would hang on and secure the set 25-16, and win the overall match 3-1. 

Next-up, Wellesley will welcome Suffolk on Senior Day on Saturday, October 9 at 2:00 PM. Wheaton will host Babson in NEWMAC play next Tuesday, October 12 at 7:00 PM.