Volleyball Cruises Past Lesley on Senior Day

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College women's volleyball team picked up its first conference win of the season on Saturday, topping Lesley University by a 3-0 final in New England Collegiate Conference action at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

The Mariners cruised to victory behind set scores of 25-9, 25-9 and 25-8 to improve to 6-13 overall (1-1 NECC). Mitchell finished with a season-high 22 service aces in the win, led by a career-high seven from Claire Binfield.

Mitchell never trailed in the opening set after starting the match with five straight points, three of which came via a Binfield ace. Later on, an ace by Molly Steel-Miller extended the margin to double digits at 17-7, and Binfield tacked on two more aces in the closing points as the Mariners took a quick 1-0 lead.

Lesley recorded the first two points of the second set, but Mitchell responded with 10 straight on the serve of Allison Blum to vault into the lead. Blum supplied three aces during the spurt while Sarah Aviles added a pair of kills. Aviles later added another kill on set point to give the Mariners the 2-0 advantage. 

Bree Rudolph recorded kills on Mitchell's first three points of the third set, and the home team was off and running. Stephanie Costabile added a pair of aces to extend the margin to 8-3, and Julianna Repaci and Binfield later added two aces each. The Mariners then got kills from Jade Cain and Sophie Arseneau to close out the match.

Binfield, Arseneau and Rudolph each finished with four kills to lead the Mariners, who hit .400 as a team. Megan Lorenze paced Lesley with a pair of kills.  

Prior to the match the Mariners honored Costabile, their lone senior, in a special ceremony. The three-year letterwinner played in her 39th career match as libero and tallied four digs and three aces.

Mitchell will next host Western Connecticut State University on Wednesday, October 27 at 7 p.m.