Norton, MA --- The WPI volleyball team closed out the 2024 season with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-17) loss on the road at Wheaton on Saturday. The Engineers close out this campaign at 7-18 (0-10 NEWMAC), while the Lyons move to 11-19 (2-9 NEWMAC).
 
Wheaton hit .278 in the match, holding WPI to a .165 clip in the sweep. The Lyons also held a 12-5 advance in aces and a 39-30 edge in digs.
 
Fiona Gillis (Manchester, NH) and Zeala VanDamme (San Diego, CA) tied for the WPI team lead with six kills each, while Emily Hudson (Melrose, MA) added four. Gillis also led the team with two blocks with Hudson picking up a pair. Lily Eldridge (Danvers, MA) ended the afternoon with 10 assists and five digs, while Victoria Escuer (Caracas, Venezuela) notched eight digs and Preslie Jerebker (Denver, CO) added six.
 
For Wheaton, Sydney Lyon (Weston, CT) led all players with 18 kills, hitting a massive .448, and adding five digs. Celina Henn (Atwater, CA) finished with nine kills and Hollis Hanson (Parker, CO) added seven to bolster the offense.  Ajsa Orbán (Budapest, Hungary) dished out 24 assists and added seven digs, while Elena Timo (Bourne, MA) notched nine assists and a team-best four aces. Defensively, Jackie Hochberg (Tampa, FL) racked up a match-best 16 digs.
 
Wheaton opened the first set with a 3-1 lead after early kills from Hanson. WPI quickly tied it at 3-3 and the set remained close. The Lyons separated themselves with an 8-4 surge to take a 16-13 lead on an ace, but WPI fought back to tie the score at 23-23 after a kill by Gillis. However, Wheaton capitalized on a kill by Julia Wingler and a WPI attack error to secure the 25-23 victory.
 
Wheaton dominated early in the second set, jumping to a 7-3 lead highlighted by back-to-back service aces from Timo. WPI narrowed the gap to 10-7 after a kill from Hudson, but Wheaton's offense surged, as the Lyons pulled ahead 18-10. The Engineers attempted to rally with kills from Stroupe and Gillis, but Wheaton's strong net play secured a 25-17 win.
 
Wheaton continued their momentum into the third set, racing to a 9-3 lead after a series of kills from Hanson and Wingler. WPI closed the gap to 12-7 with a block by Gillis and VanDamme. However, Wheaton's aggressive serving, including two aces from Henn, extended their advantage to 19-10. WPI struggled with attack errors as Wheaton finished the set decisively, 25-15, on another kill by Wingler.