NEWTON, Mass. – Despite eight kills apiece from Mary Kate Reidy (Agawam, Mass.) and Kristy Walton (Fairhaven, Mass.), Mount Ida College dropped a 3-0 decision to visiting Framingham State University in non-conference women's volleyball action on Thursday evening at Mount Ida Athletic Center.
The Rams (8-1) ran their win streak to four games, led by ten kills from junior right side Alycia Rackliffe (Feeding Hills, Mass.), and winning by identical scores of 25-20 in each of the three sets.
The Mustangs got a game-high 16 digs from senior libero Kelcey Koolman (Bedford, N.H.), but suffered their fifth straight loss after starting the season 3-0.
Mackenzie Whalen (Norton, Mass.) had 13 assists, three service aces and nine digs for the Rams, and she served the visitors from an 8-5 deficit to a 13-8 advantage in the first set. That run included three kills by Tessa Neverett (Athol, Mass.), who would go on to have five kills in the match.
The Mustangs went on a 5-1 run to cut the deficit to 23-19, but a kill by Whalen ended the first set in favor of the visitors.
Framingham State controlled the second set from the beginning, taking a 10-4 lead and extending that advantage to 18-10 before kills by Molly Alkinburg (Port Deposit, Md.) and Reidy and back to back points from Walton closed the gap to 19-17. Two points was as close as Mount Ida would get, however, as Danielle Girard (Tivoli, N.Y.), who had five kills and ten digs, helped to give the Rams a 2-0 lead.
Alkinburg added six kills in the defeat for Mount Ida, while junior Alysha Dunbar (Quincy, Mass.) had a game-high 15 assists and seven digs to go with four kills of her own.
The third set saw the Mustangs grab a 7-3 lead but two attacking errors help Framingham State close the gap. They took the lead thanks to a 12-0 run served by Julia Wan (South Deerfield, Mass.), who had three kills, nine digs and was in on two and a half blocks.
Wan's serving run, which included several of Annie DeLoid's (Plymouth, Mass.) five kills, turned the tide in the match and led the visitors to the 3-0 win, despite a comeback attempt by the Mustangs that cut the deficit to 21-18.
Senior Taylor Davis (Machiasport, Maine) pitched in with 13 assists in the Mount Ida offense, while Sarah Leonard (Southborough, Mass.) added ten assists for the Rams.
Mount Ida rides north this weekend for a Saturday afternoon tri-match at Daniel Webster against the Eagles and Southern Vermont College.
Framingham State heads to New Hampshire as well for a non-conference tri-match of their own against the Owls and Rhode Island College.