MUSTANGS DROP HOME OPENER TO BABSON, 3-1

The Mount Ida College women's volleyball team dropped a difficult loss to Babson College tonight by scores of 18-25, 25-23, 21-25, 14-25.  The Mustangs would drop to 2-5 on the season while the Beavers improve to a perfect 3-0. 

The Beavers held a commanding lead in game one, ahead 15-7.  The Mustangs would pull within four on some big points by junior Cherie Parisi (North Attleboro, MA/Attleboro) to help pull within three at 13-16.  Both teams would exchange points with the Mustangs playing catch up.  But Babson would eventually take the 25-18 game one victory on a kill by freshman Meg Flaherty (Hollis, NH/Hollis-Brookline) leading 1-0.

The offense would stay strong for the Beavers opening up a 7-1 lead in game two.  But the Mustangs would cut the lead to a deuce (8-6) on two service aces by junior Lauren Biondo (Coventry, RI/Coventry) and freshman Cody Fusco (San Fransisco, CA/San Fransisco Waldorf).  Babson would attempt to open up the advantage again but the Mustangs rode their momentum and took the lead, 17-15, off two more aces this time by senior Blair Canan (North Reading, MA/North Reading).  Unfortunately, for the Mustangs, Babson retook the reigns off a key block and a couple of kills, going up 20-17.  Mount Ida fought back to tie it 23-23 on an error by the visitors and a key service ace by junior Amanda Pereira (New Bedford, MA/New Bedford).  The Mustangs would seal the victory on a double hit by BC and another service ace by Pereira making it 1-1 in the match.

Game three was a mirror image of game two in the beginning with Babson taking the 4-0 opening advantage.  The Mustangs came storming back to tie it up at 7-7 off a Beavers error.  The teams would exchange points the whole way through with only a three point margin separating them up until 20-17.  Mount Ida would knot the score at 20-20 on a Chelsea Darnell (Dublin, OH/Dublin Scioto) kill.  But the visitors would take the lead on three consecutive kills and a MIC error to go ahead 2-1.

Game four would be the finale of the match with the Beavers taking over the action.  It wouldn't take long for the visitors to pull away taking the early 15-8 advantage and eventually capping off the 25-14 victory. 

The Mustangs will be off until this Friday when they compete in the Plymouth State University Invitational over the weekend.