WELLESLEY, MA- The seventh-seeded Wheaton College women's volleyball team saw its season come to an end at number-two Wellesley College in the first round of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament with a 3-0 (20-25, 7-25, 13-25) loss on Tuesday evening in the Keohane Athletic Center.

The Lyons finished the fall with a 13-20 record, posting an 11-8 mark down the stretch after losing 12 of their first 14 matches. The Blue, which is ranked third in this week's New England Women's Volleyball Association (NEWVA) poll and began defense of its 2007 league crown, improved to 25-6.

Wheaton jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first set before falling behind but staying with the hosts for much of the opener. Neither team led by more than three points until Wellesley forged an 18-14 edge, and the teams played back and forth before the Blue eventually clinched the win. In set two, the hosts used a 7-0 run to extend upon a 12-4 lead before employing a key 12-6 run in the third set.

In her final college match, senior Liana Merrill (Northwood, NH/Coe-Brown Northwood Academy) tallied a team-high-tying seven kills, while junior Lauren Kraus (Westboro, MA/Westboro) matched her with seven kills. Sophomore Becca Rose (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) turned in 14 assists, while freshman Emily Davisson (Carpinteria, CA/Laguna Blanca School) had nine digs. Sophomore Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) added six digs, and freshman Lauren McGrath (Wading River, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) turned in three blocks.

For Wellesley, junior Alice Kate Cummings (Tallahassee, FL/Lawton Chiles) had 10 kills, while senior Jessica Duff (Abingdon, United Kingdom/Saline) turned in nine kills and 10 digs. Classmate Heather Mellquist (Baltimore, OH/Pickerington North) added nine kills, sophomore Victoria Peng (Diamond Bar, CA/Diamond Bar) contributed 34 assists and senior Emily Peters (Temescal Valley, CA/Villa Parks) tallied 12 digs.