Castleton, VT - The Vermont State University Lyndon volleyball team opened their season with a pair of matches ath the annual Vermont Volleyball Classic, hosted this year by Vermont State University Castleton. The Hornets took on in-state rivals Norwich University and Vermont State University Johnson on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately for the Hornets, they came up on the losing end against both the Cadets and the Badgers. Norwich improved to 1-2 on the young season, while Johnson evened their record at 1-1.
Match #1 - Norwich 3, VTSU Lyndon 1 (25-13, 25-13, 27-29, 25-15
With Lyndon leading, 5-4, early in the opening set, Norwich ran off nine straight points on Vanessa Whitmill's serve to take control, then cruised to the set win.
Lyndon looked like they might even the match early in the second set, jumping out to a 9-4 advantage. However, in similar fashion to the first set, Norwich then ran off 14 straight points on Isabella Vasapolli's serve to take a commanding 18-9 lead. Lyndon was't able to get back in the set, as the Cadets took a 2-0 advantage in the match.
It was Norwich that took the early lead in the third set, jumping in front, 11-5, and looking like they would sweep the match. At that point Lyndon began playing its best stretch of volleyball of the day. The Hornets began to chip away, and a Kacie Nelson (St. Johnsbury, VT) kill brought the Hornets to within 12-10. Norwich was able to keep Lyndon at bay for a time, building their lead back to 21-16 following a Vasapolli kill. A Nei'Shae Clegg (Coolidge, AZ) kill and a Norwich error cut the lead to three. Then after a bad Lyndon set, back to back kills from Emily Lopez (Chicago, IL) and Clegg and a Taniya Davis (Colchester, VT) ace made it 22-21.
A Lyndon service error and an Aylei Connolly ace gave Norwich three match points, but Lyndon responded with a Nelson kill followed by a Norwich bad set and two Clegg aces to take a 25-24 lead. Whitmill's kill and a Lyndon attack error gave Norwich a one point advantage, but a bad Cadet set tied things. After Taylor Rae Lawing's kill, a bad Cadet set, a Kyra Fessenden (Waterford, VT) ace, and a Norwich attack error gave Lyndon the set.
Norwich took an early 4-1 lead in the fourth set, then maitained a narrow advantage for several rallies. With the Cadets leading, 19-15, Nowrich closed the match out with six straight points, including three Kelsey Slane aces and two Vasapolli kills.
Vasapolli paced the Cadets with ten kills. Setter Ainslee Vargas recorded 25 assists and Connolly notched nine digs. Clegg had seven kills to lead the Lyndon attack, while Davis had five assists and four aces. Lopez and Olivia Cordova (Craig, CO) had 12 and 11 digs respectively.
Match #2 - VTSU Johnson 3, VTSU Lyndon 0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-7)
Johnson, playing their first match of the day, wasted little time taking control, as the Badgers jumped out to a 9-0 lead on the strength of four aces from Sasha Khomutetsky. Lyndon was never able to get back in the set, as the Badgers cruised to the win.
Set two was much more tightly contested. A Fessenden kill brought the Hornets to within 18-16, but back to back kills from Haylee Hansen ignited a five point Badger run to build the lead to seven, and Johnson held on from there.
The third set was all Badgers, as Johnson scored the first 14 points and never looked back, closing out the victory.
Khomutetsky paced a balanced Johnson attack with six kills, 11 aces, and seven digs. Tatum Kalahiki had nine assists. Nelson posted five kills and Fessenden posted three assists for the Hornets. Lopez led with eight digs.
Lyndon will close out their play at the Vermont Volleyball Classic on Sunday morning when they take on host VTSU Castleton at 11:00 am.
