CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Mount Ida took the first set and then went to extra points in the next three, but were edged 3-1 by Lesley University in non-conference women's volleyball action on Monday night at Buckingham, Brown & Nichols.
The Mustangs took a 1-0 lead with a 25-20 victory to start the evening, but Lesley tied the match up by gutting out a 30-28 second set before taking the next two sets by matching 26-24 scores.
Sophomore libero Kelcey Koolman (Bedford, N.H.) had a game high 29 digs, junior Hillary Kostner (Corona, Calif.) led all players with 14 kills, and junior setter Nicole Peixoto (New Bedford, Mass.) collected her second highest assist total of the year, with 31.
Kostner and Peixoto also set game-highs with five service aces apiece, as the Mustangs collected 16 aces on the evening. Peixoto tallied 13 digs herself.
Sophomore Danielle McDonald (Lilitz, Pa.) and junior Anthea Rathjens (Sudbury, Mass.) led the Lynx offense with six kills apiece while senior Katrina Stroganoff (Cedar Grove, N.J.) and sophomore Katey Carew (Salem, N.H.) provided a strong defensive effort, finishing with 16 and 15 kills, respectively.
The first set was tight throughout before Mount Ida, leading 15-14, took advantage of a slew of Lynx errors to go on a 10-5 run capped by an Abbey Fedigan (New Fairfield, Conn.) kill to take the opener 25-20.
In the second set, a Stroganoff slam pushed the Lynx lead to 17-13, but the Mustangs would stop Lesley's momentum with a kill from freshman Katelyn Wickert (Chesapeake, Va.) and eventually knot the game at 17 apiece due to three consecutive Lynx errors. The teams would exchange points from then until a McDonald kill and Mount Ida error lifted Lesley to a 30-28 second set victory.
Lesley once again jumped out to take a lead in the third set, holding a 19-11 advantage. However, six straight Lynx errors and a Kostner kill allowed the Mustangs right back in, trailing only by one. Mount Ida would eventually tie the set at 24-24 before back-to-back kills from McDonald and Rathjens gave Lesley a 26-24 set win.
In the fourth set, it was the home team that needed to make a comeback. Trailing 23-19, the Lynx took advantage of six Mount Ida errors and a McDonald kill to close out the set, 26-24.
The Mustangs fall to 2-11 on the season and now have a full week off before they host Bridgewater State on September 23rd (6:00 pm).
Lesley picks up their second win of the year, improving to 2-4, and stays home to host St. Joseph's College (Maine) on Thursday at 8:00 pm.