Women’s Volleyball Falls to Lesley University, 3-1

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Elms College junior middle hitter JC Pickett (Chicopee, Mass.) downed a match-high 15 kills and added 15 digs, but Lesley University used nine kills from Danielle McDonald (Lilitz, Pa.) and eight kills from Danielle Johnson (Waterford, Conn.) and rallied for a 1-0 deficit in the match to stake a 3-1 (15-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-17) win over the Blazers in Thursday evening's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) women's volleyball match in Cambridge, Mass.

With the loss, Elms moves to 4-12 on the season, 0-2 in NECC play. Lesley improves to 5-8 overall, 1-1 in NECC action.

Elms pulled away to a 25-15 victory in set one thanks to a kill by Pickett that stopped a 3-1 run by Lesley with the score set at 23-12.

The Lynx answered with a 6-0 run to start the second set which developed into a 22-19 lead for Lesley. Two kills by Pickett and an attacking error by the Lynx evened the frame at 22-22 but McDonald and Katrina Stroganoff (Cedar Grove, N.J.) connected for back-to-back kills and the Blazers suffered an error allowing the Lynx to claim the set and even the contest at 1-1.

The third set again saw the Lynx take an early lead and with the score set at 24-21 in favor Lesley, Elms responded with a kill by sophomore outside hitter Alexandra Mack (Wilbraham, Mass.) and a bad set by the Lynx to pull the Blazers to within on at 24-23. A bad set by Elms on the ensuing play gave Lesley a 2-1 lead in the contest.

Lesley opened up a 22-14 lead in the fourth stanza and after Elms scored three of the next five points, Stroganoff closed out the match with her seventh kills to seal the 25-17 set four win and a 3-1 overall victory for the Lynx.

Junior libero Caitlyn Larvey (Greenfield, Mass.) was stellar in defense with a match-high 25 digs, while senior opposite hitter Rachel Cowan (Ellington, Conn.) and Mack followed with 12 and 10 digs respectively behind Pickett's 15.

Cowan and junior middle hitter Christine Searles (Tolland, Mass.) tabbed eight kills each, while sophomore setter Shannon Bolton (Shelton, Conn.) handed out 38 helpers. Pickett added five service aces in the losing effort.

Stroganoff led Lesley with 18 digs, while Johnson (13), McDonald (12) and Julia Carew (Salem, N.H.) (11) each totaled double-digit digs in the win. Johnson added 20 assists and three service aces to help propel the win.

Elms returns to NECC action on Saturday, October 5 when it hosts Becker College at 11:00 a.m. as part of tri-match action at Picknelly Arena. The Blazers will also square off against Wentworth Institute of Technology at 3:00 p.m.