Traveling to Norton, Massachusetts this afternoon for a non-conference matchup, Gordon College Volleyball battled the Lyons of Wheaton College through five challenging sets but were ultimately overcome by their hosts 3-2 (25-23, 19-25, 17-25, 25-18, 9-15). 

How It Happened

• The Fighting Scots were the first to get on the board, however, their lead quickly whittled down after an early Wheaton rally. Following Gordon's first timeout  after trailing, 2-7, the Fighting Scots came back from their biggest deficit, catalyzed by two smashing kills from Valerie Nilan along with two service aces from Emily Schneider to cut Wheaton's lead to one. After Gordon's rally, both teams fought for control, however neither were able to take a lead of more than two points throughout the remainder of the set. With the first set win on the horizon after a block from the brick wall duo Macie Carroll and Joey Keltner, the Scots led 24-22 before the Lyons lengthened the Scots' match point opportunity with a kill from Wheaton's Haley McCreight. However, Gordon's Annie Murphy put a stop to the Lyons attempt to comeback with a forceful game ending kill to take the first set 25-23.
• Murphy led off the second set the way she ended the first with a kill perfectly placed in the back corner of the court to give the Fighting Scots the first point. After a score of 5-5, the Lyons clawed their way out of the tie, rattling off six straight points to take a commanding 5-11 lead. The Scots attempted to do the same after closing the gap 14-15 but their efforts weren't enough to pull ahead, ultimately dropping the second set 19-25. 
• The Lyons continued their streak, never breaking their lead once in the third set. The Scots came close to breaking their opponents lead after a kill and an ace from Nilan to bring the score to 15-18. Nevertheless, despite the Fighting Scots' driven effort Gordon was topped 17-25 after an ace from the Lyons to give Wheaton the go ahead 2-1. 
• The Scots started off the fourth set fiery, generated by Murphy's signature initial kill. Gordon refused to give up their initial lead for the remainder of the set after an overpowering 12-3 lead. The Lyons strived to close the gap, but the Scots zoned in to lock in the win with a powerful kill from Nilan to take the fourth set 25-18, tying the game 2-2 and forcing a fifth and final set. 
• After the Lyons quickly pulled ahead 5-8, the Fighting Scots fought back to bring the score to a tie at 8-8 with a powerful kill from Carroll. After a Gordon timeout, the Scots were only able to put one more point up on the board before they were eventually bested by the Lyons 9-15, ultimately dropping the match 2-3. 

Beyond The Box Score

• The Fighting Scots return to conference action on Tuesday, October 19 when they travel across town to face off against their North Shore rivals Endicott College at 7 p.m.