South Hadley, Mass. – October 14, 2023 – Playing for the third time this week, the Springfield College women's volleyball team remained unbeaten in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play with a four-set triumph over Mount Holyoke.  Springfield was victorious by the scores of 25-8, 22-25, 25-20, 25-23.  

Springfield has now put together a 15-match winning streak and stands at 19-1, 7-0 in conference play.  The Pride entered the week just outside the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)/TARAFLEX Division III national poll.

The Pride held Mount Holyoke to a .007 hitting percentage on the afternoon as Ally Townsend (Hummelstown, Pa.) was credited with 25 digs.  Riley Donahue (South Windsor, Conn.) and Natalie Billet (Commack, N.Y.) each had double doubles as the duo combined for 28 kills and 24 digs and Tori Colosimo (Fairport, N.Y.) notched 34 assists.  Olivia Gentry (Cincinatti, Ohio) was efficient in the middle with 12 kills at a .476 clip and Olivia Nealy (Athens, Ga.) ripped four of Springfield's 14 aces. 

Springfield scored the first five points of the opening set and never looked back as it coasted to a 25-8 win, fueled by four kills each from Donahue and Jodi Saelua (Mililani, Hawaii).  Leading 15-8, the Pride rattled off the last 10 points of the frame behind some tremendous serving from Nealy to take a 1-0 lead in the match. 

After Billet put away a kill to even up the second set at 10-10, Mount Holyoke responded with a 7-1 push to seize a 17-11 cushion.  Springfield battled back to tie things up at 19 on a kill by Donahue, but the Lyons scored the next three points en route to a tying up the match at a set apiece following a 25-22 win. 

Knotted up at 6-6 in the third, Springfield put together a 12-3 surge, as Nealy blistered an ace which allowed the visitors to double up the Lyons, 18-9. Springfield limited MHC to just three kills in the set as it took the 25-20 victory.

Springfield held a comfortable 17-9 advantage in the fourth and earned match point at 24-17 when Nealy and Saelua teammed up for a block.  The hosts made one final push, getting a 6-0 run to make it a one-point game, but Billet capped off the match with the Pride's ninth kill of the set. 

Springfield continues conference play on Tuesday when it travels to Wellesley for a 7 pm match. 

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