Wellesley Rallies Past Women's Volleyball, 3-2
Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- September 11, 2007 -- The Wellesley College women’s volleyball team rallied from two games down to top Springfield College in five games on Tuesday evening in Blake Arena. The Blue won by the scores of 22-30, 19-30, 30-28, 30-23, 15-10. The win moves Wellesley to 2-2, 1-0 on the season while the Pride fall to 5-3, 0-1 in both teams New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference opener.
The Pride cruised in the opening two games, winning by scores of 30-22 and 30-19. The Pride hit .314 and .324 as a team in the two games respectively and held the Blue to just a .111 and .121 hitting percentage. After a kill from Heidi Yohe (Deer Park, Wash.) put Springfield up 12-10 in the first, Springfield went on a 13-5 run en route to the first game victory. The Pride raced out to a 10-1 lead in the second game and never looked back to grab a two game to one lead.
It appeared as though the Pride would sweep in three games as it held 25-21 lead after a Jessica Baldwin ace. However, a quick 5-0 run by the Blue capped off by a pair of Pride attack errors gave Wellesley a lead it would not relinquish. The Blue took the third game by a score of 30-28.
Springfield held tough in the fourth game and with the score tied at 12, the Blue rattled off 10 straight points off Heather Mellquist’s excellent serving to grab a commanding 22-12 lead. Mellquist registered four aces in the run for Wellesley. The Blue would close out the game to take the match to a fifth and deciding game.
In the fifth, the Pride jumped out to a 5-3 lead after a pair of kills from junior Aylene Ilkson (Baldwin, N.Y.). Once again, the Blue answered with a monster run, closing out the game outscoring the home squad 12-3, to win the match.
The Pride had five players with double digit kills and three players’ notch double-doubles with Ilkson leading the way with 15 kills and 18 digs. Yohe registered 12 kills, 10 digs, and four blocks while Lindsay Marone (Hamden, Conn.) chipped in with 12 kills and 10 digs. Katie Stanley (Haverhill, Mass.) recorded 10 kills and four blocks and Bethany Stosz (Amherst, Mass.) notched 11 kills and four blocks. Kelsea Hellyar (Fairhaven, Mass.) dished out 53 assists in the match and Jessica Baldwin (Fairport, N.Y.) recorded a game-high 21 digs.
Jessica Duff and Alice Cummings each had 13 kills for the Blue in the match.
Springfield returns to action when it travels to take on conference-foe Wheaton on Saturday. First serve is set for 2:00 p.m.
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Head Coach Joel Dearing
Joel Dearing will enter his 20th season as head women's volleyball coach at his alma mater in the fall of 2008. Dearing is regarded nationally as one of the sport’s best coaches and he has the resume to prove it. Dearing ranks in the top-10 in Division III history with a 638-293 (.685) overall mark in 27 seasons as a women’s volleyball coach.
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