Mills College Downs Women’s Volleyball, 3-0

Box Score

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms College junior outside hitter Christina Martin (Chicopee, Mass.) floored a match-high 10 kills and match-best 15 digs, but Mills College's setter Jessica Lord (Santa Rosa, Calif.) paced the Cyclones to victory dishing out 19 assists en route to a 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-18) sweep in Thursday evening's non-conference women's volleyball at Picknelly Arena.

With the loss, Elms falls to 5-10 on the season, while Mills improves to 3-7 overall.

The Cyclones continue their east coast tour at Smith College on Friday, Sept. 30 before concluding the trip with a tri-match against Mount Holyoke College and Bay Path College on Saturday, Oct. 1. The Blazers will travel to Lesley University for a 12:00 p.m. contest to open New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) play.

In the opening set, the sides fought to five tie scores before Mills took a 20-19 edge and scored five of the next six points highlighted by an Amy Fowler (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) service ace and four Blazers' miscues to seal the first set.

In the second frame, Elms pulled to within three at 22-19 before Fowler and Ashley Diaz (San Antonio, Texas) each downed a kill and Elms suffered an attacking error to give the Cyclones a 2-0 lead in the contest.

The third stanza saw the sides battle to seven ties and four lead changes before Mills posted a 24-15 lead. A kill by senior outside hitter Stacy Croteau (Agawam, Mass.), one from Martin and a Croteau service ace brought the Blazers to within six at 24-18, but an Elms service error preserved the sweep for Mills.

Croteau finished with nine kills and three aces in the losing effort, while senior setter Jennifer Rego (Fall River, Mass.) totaled 19 assists and chipped in 11 digs.

Fowler led Mills with six kills, a solo block and three assisted blocks, while Diaz and Julia Harencar (Mendocino, Calif.) tallied five apiece.

Lord added three aces and 10 digs, while Erika Colstad (Manhattan, Mon.) notched a team-best 13 digs in the winning effort.