Kimberly Nash

Monica Black

Savannah Geasey

Four sophomores earned accolades from women's cross country, as the squad set a program record for academic all-league nods. The team last had as many as three qualify in 2006. Monica Black (North Kingstown, RI/North Kingstown), Savannah Geasey (Portsmouth, RI/Portsmouth), Kimberly Nash (Tempe, AZ/McClintock) and Taylor Wills (Kinderhook, NY/Ichabod Crane) each drew their initial college honor.

Miles Souza

Taylor Wills

Nick Kacher

Both of the men's cross country team's captains picked up laurels, with senior Miles Souza (Norton, MA/Saint Sebastian's School) and junior Nick Kacher (Waltham, MA/Waltham) earning honors. It marked the fourth straight season that at least two of the program's athletes qualified, as Souza was lauded for the third consecutive fall and Kacher for the second time.

Lauren Kraus

Emily Davisson

The women's volleyball program extended its streak of having at least two academic all-league members to nine consecutive seasons, as senior Lauren Kraus (Westboro, MA/Westboro) and sophomore Emily Davisson (Carpinteria, CA/Laguna Blanca School) were honored. Davisson earned her first award, while Kraus qualified for the third straight season after also landing on the ESPN The Magazine Academic College Division All-District I first team this fall. In leading Wheaton to an 18-15 mark, Kraus was first on the team in hitting percentage and second in kills, aces and blocks, while Davisson paced the squad in digs while dropping in the fifth-most aces.

Pablo Mena

Kathleen Carroll

Julia Atwood

Women's soccer senior Kathleen Carroll (New Paltz, NY/New Paltz Central) was honored for the third straight year, netting one game-winning goal with two assists in helping the Lyons go 17-3-2 and qualify for their 10th straight NCAA Tournament. Carroll was also selected for the ESPN The Magazine Academic College Division All-District I first team. Field hockey junior Julia Atwood (Concord, MA/Brooks School) was honored for the second time, tying for second on the team with seven goals for the 6-12 Blue and White. Sophomore Pablo Mena (San Salvador, El Salvador/American School of El Salvador) of the men's soccer team drew his initial laurel, scoring twice while helping Wheaton finish 18-4-1 and advance to the NEWMAC Tournament final.

Fall sports sponsored by the NEWMAC include men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's and women's soccer, women's tennis and women's volleyball.

Lauren Kraus

NORTON, MA- Wheaton College women's volleyball senior Lauren Kraus (Westboro, MA/Westboro) has been selected to participate in the New England Women's Volleyball Association (NEWVA) Senior All-Star Classic on Sunday at the University of Massachusetts at Boston at 1:00 p.m. Kraus helped Wheaton go 18-15 this season.

Kraus was among 33 players chosen from the region, and one of six from the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). A middle hitter, Kraus led the Lyons in hitting percentage this fall while placing second in kills, blocks and service aces.

The second-year captain completed her career fourth in program history in career attacks and sets played, fifth in kills, sixth in hitting percentage, seventh in blocks and eighth in aces. She became the sixth player in school annals to tally 1,000 kills, finishing with 1,143, and appeared in 132 of a possible 133 matches over four years.

An academic standout, Kraus also recently earned her second career ESPN The Magazine Academic College Division All-District I honor, landing on the first team to become eligible for the Academic All-America ballot. As a sophomore, she became the initial player in program history to be selected Academic All-District, being chosen for the third team.

Lauren Kraus

NORTON, MA- Wheaton College women's volleyball senior Lauren Kraus (Westboro, MA/Westboro) landed the second ESPN The Magazine Academic College Division All-District I accolade of her career, placing on the first team to qualify for the Academic All-America ballot. The teams are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Kraus, who became the first player in program history to earn a CoSIDA honor when she was named to the Academic All-District third team as a sophomore, was one of six players to land on the first team and one of 18 student-athletes honored between three squads. The mathematics major, who is minoring in both French and statistics, has twice qualified for New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) academic all-league laurels.

The team leader in hitting percentage this past season, Kraus was second on Wheaton in each kills (364), blocks (68) and service aces (55). A middle hitter, Kraus finished her career fourth in program history in attacks and sets played, fifth in kills, sixth in hitting percentage, seventh in blocks and eighth in aces. She became the sixth player in school annals to tally 1,000 kills, finishing with 1,143, and appeared in 132 of a possible 133 matches over four years.

Kraus, a second-year team captain, is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the country's most prestigious liberal arts and sciences honor society. She has also been active with the Wheaton Athletic Mentors (WAMs), earned Dean's List honors and qualified for the Wheaton Presidential Award, which requires a minimum 3.75 grade-point average. Additionally, Kraus has been a calculus teaching assistant and tutor and studied last spring in Switzerland.

Kraus played a major role in two of her program's most successful years in the past decade, as Wheaton went 18-15 this year after posting 22 victories in 2007.

The District I College Division consists of all non-NCAA Division I colleges and universities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec.

To be nominated for the Academic All-America program, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore in academic standing, possess at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average and be a starter or significant reserve.

The Wheaton College women's volleyball team went 1-2 last week, falling twice in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play to narrowly miss out on qualifying for the postseason tournament. The Lyons dropped a 3-2 (25-21, 25-22, 23-25, 23-25, 11-15) decision to visiting Clark University on Tuesday before rebounding with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-22) triumph at non-league foe Emmanuel College on Thursday. However, Saturday's 3-2 (16-25, 25-21, 19-25, 25-18, 9-15) loss at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in a must-win match for both teams ended Wheaton's campaign. The Blue and White's eight five-set wins and 13 five-set matches were its most in the last two decades, as the Lyons had gone to five sets 13 times during their previous 91 matches since 2006 prior to this fall.

Sophomore Miranda Howitt (San Francisco, CA/International) turned in a double-double against Clark with 23 kills and 14 digs, while senior Lauren Kraus (Westboro, MA/Westboro) had eight kills and five aces in her final match in Emerson Gymnasium. Junior Becca Rose (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) recorded 47 assists and 15 digs, and sophomore Lauren McGrath (Wading River, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) had five blocks. Sophomore Emily Davisson (Carpinteria, CA/Laguna Blanca School) totaled 25 digs, while junior Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) and freshman Olanna Nissim (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich) had 17 apiece.

At Emmanuel, Kraus, Howitt and freshman Rachel Vergara (Needham, MA/Needham) recorded 11, 10 and nine kills, respectively, while Rose tallied 36 assists. Davisson led the defense with 20 digs, Howitt contributed 17, and Nissim added 11. Nissim also accounted for four service aces, while Kraus and Vergara posted three blocks apiece.

Howitt led the visitors with 15 kills and 17 digs at WPI, while Kraus closed the book on a standout career with 12 kills and four blocks. Vergara added eight kills, and Rose provided 43 assists, 11 digs and three blocks. Davisson turned in 23 digs, while Hunt had 16.

Rose enters her senior year third in program history in career assists (3,214) and tied for sixth in aces (204), while Kraus finished her four years fourth in attacks (3,112) and sets played (467), fifth in kills (1,143), sixth in hitting percentage (.228), seventh in blocks (288) and eighth in aces (184). Hunt is fifth in digs (1,464). Rose totaled the program's third-highest single-season assist total (1,170) this fall, becoming the first player in Wheaton history with multiple 1,000-assist seasons, while Howitt was sixth in kills (456), recording the most by a Lyon since 2000 and the highest figure by an underclassman since 1998. Howitt was also fourth in attacks (1,277) with the most since 1999.

Sophomore Miranda Howitt (San Francisco, CA/International) led the visitors with 15 kills and 17 digs, as Howitt completed the season with 1,277 attacks and 456 kills, the fourth- and sixth-highest totals, respectively, in program history. Senior Lauren Kraus (Westboro, MA/Westboro) closed the book on a standout career with 12 kills and four blocks, completing her four years at Wheaton fifth in career kills at 1,143.

Freshman Rachel Vergara (Needham, MA/Needham) added eight kills, while junior Becca Rose (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) provided 43 assists, 11 digs and three blocks. Rose finished the fall with 1,170 helpers, the third-highest total compiled at Wheaton, and 67 shy of her career high. Sophomore Emily Davisson (Carpinteria, CA/Laguna Blanca School) turned in 23 digs, while junior Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) had 16.

Freshman Bailey Sarber (Westerly, RI/Westerly) led WPI with 19 kills and 16 digs, while senior Becca Holmberg (Madison, CT/Daniel Hand) added 15 of each. Sophomore Kim Woodward (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) provided 45 assists, and classmate Joan Porambo (Jim Thorpe, PA/Marian Catholic) notched 28 digs.

Senior Lauren Kraus (Westboro, MA/Westboro), sophomore Miranda Howitt (San Francisco, CA/International) and freshman Rachel Vergara (Needham, MA/Needham) recorded 11, 10 and nine kills, respectively, while junior Becca Rose (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) tallied 36 assists.

Sophomore Emily Davisson (Carpinteria, CA/Laguna Blanca School) led the defense with 20 digs, Howitt contributed 17, and freshman Olanna Nissim (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich) added 11. Nissim also accounted for four service aces, while Kraus and Vergara posted three blocks apiece.

For the Saints, sophomore Rebecca Stanton (Quincy, MA/North Quincy) had six kills and a match-high eight blocks. Classmate Kathryne Olsen (Fairhaven, MA/Fairhaven) dished out 14 assists, while freshman Samantha Andazola (Queen Creek, AZ/Mountain View) finished with a team-best 20 digs.

The Lyons wrap up the regular season on Saturday with a huge New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) match against host Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) at 12:00 p.m., as only the winner will qualify for next week's league tournament.

The Lyons fell to 17-14 overall and 2-6 in the league, as they slid into a tie for eighth in the league with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Wheaton and the Engineers square off on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. in Worcester, with only the winner making a trip to the eight-team NEWMAC Tournament. Clark upped its records to 8-15 and 3-5.

Sophomore Miranda Howitt (San Francisco, CA/International) turned in a double-double for Wheaton with 23 kills and 14 digs, while senior Lauren Kraus (Westboro, MA/Westboro) had eight kills and five aces in her final match in Emerson Gymnasium. Junior Becca Rose (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) turned in 47 assists and 15 digs, while sophomore Lauren McGrath (Wading River, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) had five blocks.

Defensively, sophomore Emily Davisson (Carpinteria, CA/Laguna Blanca School) led the Lyons with 25 digs, while junior Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) and freshman Olanna Nissim (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich) had 17 digs apiece.

Sophomore Nicole Sullivan (Marshfield, MA/Marshfield) paced Clark with 15 kills and five blocks, while classmate Kristin McGinty (Vail, CO/Vail Christian) also had 15 kills. Freshman Emily Sullivan (Nashua, NH/Nashua South) dished off 54 assists, while senior Emily Visone (West Hempstead, NY/West Hempstead) and sophomore Kortney Kelley (Barnstable, MA/Barnstable) notched 26 digs apiece.

The Lyons captured each of the first two sets, leading by as many as six points in the opening set before a Kraus kill clinched the 1-0 edge. In the second set, the hosts scored the first four points before 13 ties ensued, the last of which occurred at 21 while the Lyons were on a set-ending 5-1 run. Nissim had a pair of kills in that stretch.

In the third set, a Wheaton 23-21 lead was washed out by the Cougars, who scored the final four points after calling a timeout, with Nicole Sullivan landing a kill at set point. The teams played to five deadlocks in the fourth set before Wheaton grabbed a 20-16 edge, but Clark scored the next four points before snapping a 23-all tie, knotting the match on a McGinty kill.

Clark blew open a 6-5 fifth set with four straight points, but the Lyons rallied from a later 12-7 deficit to make it 12-11 behind a pair of aces by Kraus. However, freshman ToniMarie Illuzzi's (Manorville, NY/Eastport-South Manor) kill capped Clark's match-ending 3-0 run.

Wheaton heads to Emmanuel College on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

The Wheaton College women's volleyball team went 2-2 last week, dropping a 3-0 (20-25, 23-25, 17-25) decision to visiting Wellesley College on Tuesday in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play before going 2-1 over the weekend during the Hall of Fame Tournament at Mount Holyoke College. The Lyons finished fifth out of eight squads in the silver bracket after falling to Bridgewater State College, 3-0 (18-25, 23-25, 20-25) on Friday but downing Gordon College, 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-13, 25-19) and Colby College, 3-0 (27-25, 25-17, 25-22) on Saturday. For her efforts, senior Lauren Kraus (Westboro, MA/Westboro) was named all-tournament. With two NEWMAC matches remaining, Wheaton is tied for sixth in the conference, as the top eight teams qualify for the tournament.

Against Wellesley, which was ranked 11th regionally by the New England Women's Volleyball Association (NEWVA), sophomore Miranda Howitt (San Francisco, CA/International) totaled 14 kills and seven digs, Kraus added nine kills, and junior Becca Rose (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) had 34 assists and seven digs. Sophomore Emily Davisson (Carpinteria, CA/Laguna Blanca School) and junior Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) tallied 14 and 13 digs, respectively.

Howitt led the Lyons with 10 kills against Bridgewater State, while Kraus added eight. Rose turned in 26 assists, and Davisson had 12 digs. Sophomore Lauren McGrath (Wading River, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) contributed four blocks.

Kraus totaled 15 kills and four blocks against Gordon, while Howitt and McGrath added 11 kills apiece. Rose contributed a double-double with 42 assists and 13 digs, Davisson and freshman Olanna Nissim (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich) paced the defense with 16 digs apiece, and Hunt had 13.

Versus Colby, Kraus turned in another well-rounded line with 13 kills, five aces and three blocks. Howitt provided 15 kills and seven digs, while Rose dished off 40 assists. Davisson, Hunt and Nissim tallied 14, nine and eight digs, respectively, while freshman Rachel Vergara (Needham, MA/Needham) matched Kraus with three blocks.

Rose is third in program history in career assists (3,088) and seventh in aces (200), while Kraus is fourth in attacks (3,015), fifth in kills (1,112) and sets played (454), seventh in blocks (280) and 10th in aces (178). Hunt is fifth in digs (1,431). Rose has totaled the program's fourth-highest single-season assist total (1,044) this fall, becoming the first player in Wheaton history with multiple 1,000-assist seasons, while Howitt is eighth in attacks (1,131) with the most since 2000. Howitt is also ninth in kills (408), having recorded the most by a Lyon since 2000 and the highest figure by an underclassman since 1998.

The Blue and White dropped its opening match against Bridgewater State College, 3-0 (18-25, 23-25, 20-25) on Friday before going 2-0 on the second day, downing Gordon College, 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-13, 25-19) and Colby College, 3-0 (27-25, 25-17, 25-22).

During the weekend's action, junior setter Becca Rose (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) eclipsed the 3,000-assist and 200-ace plateaus for her career while becoming the first player in program history to post a pair of 1,000-assist seasons. Sophomore Miranda Howitt (San Francisco, CA/International) continued to ascend the program's single-season kills list, as she became the first Lyon with 400 since Bonnie Campbell '01 in 2000 and the first underclassman to reach the mark since Campbell during the fall of 1998.

Howitt posted 10 kills against Bears, while Kraus added eight. Rose turned in 26 assists, and sophomore Emily Davisson (Carpinteria, CA/Laguna Blanca School) had 12 digs. Classmate Lauren McGrath (Wading River, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) had four blocks.

Kraus totaled 15 kills and four blocks against Gordon, while Howitt and McGrath added 11 kills apiece. Rose contributed a double-double with 42 assists and 13 digs, Davisson and freshman Olanna Nissim (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich) paced the defense with 16 digs apiece, and junior Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) had 13.

Versus Colby, Kraus had another well-rounded line with 13 kills, five aces and three blocks. Howitt provided 15 kills and seven digs, McGrath notched five kills, and Rose dished off 40 assists. Davisson, Hunt and Nissim tallied 14, nine and eight digs, respectively, while freshman Rachel Vergara (Needham, MA/Needham) matched Kraus with three blocks.

With three regular season matches remaining, Wheaton plays its final two New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) contests this week as it pushes to claim a spot in the league tournament. The Lyons host Clark University on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., as each team is tied for sixth in a conference where eight squads qualify for the postseason.

The Lyons fall to 15-12 on the season and 2-5 in league action, while the Blue, which came into tonight's match ranked 11th by the New England Women's Volleyball Association (NEWVA), is 16-7 and 5-1.

Sophomore Miranda Howitt (San Francisco, CA/International) accounted for 14 kills and seven digs to lead the hosts, senior Lauren Kraus (Westboro, MA/Westboro) added nine kills, and junior Becca Rose (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) tallied 34 assists and seven digs. Sophomore Emily Davisson (Carpinteria, CA/Laguna Blanca School) and junior Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) finished with 14 and 13 digs, respectively.

Senior Alice Kate Cummings (Tallahassee, FL/Lawton Chiles) paced the visitors with 16 kills, while freshman Elizabeth Campbell (Solana Beach, CA/Torrey Pines) contributed seven kills and a team-best 14 digs. Classmate Isabel Custodio (Powell, OH/Bishop Watterson) handed out 18 assists, and junior Victoria Peng (Diamond Bar, CA/Diamond Bar) had 15. Senior Naomi Iwata (Seattle, WA/Seattle Prep) added 12 digs.

Set one saw Wheaton jump out to a 5-1 advantage behind strong service from junior Kaitlyn Stokes (Tewksbury, MA/Tewksbury Memorial) before Wellesley went on an 8-2 run. Tied at 12, the visitors used a 9-2 run to pull away.

The Lyons opened the second set with 5-2 and 8-5 advantages, but the Blue made the score 10-all in what proved to be the first of eight straight ties. With Wellesley clinging to a 24-22 lead, Wheaton freshman Olanna Nissim's (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich) kill brought the hosts to within one before Blue first-year Taylor King (Walnut Creek, CA/Northgate) picked up the set-winner.

Wellesley scored nine of the final set's first 10 points. The Lyons got to within five at 15-10, but the Blue eventually pulled away in extending its advantage to 22-12. Four straight points narrowed Wheaton's gap to six at 22-16 before the visitors finished the set on a 3-1 spurt.

Wheaton travels to Mount Holyoke College this weekend to compete at the Hall of Fame Tournament, where the Lyons will face local foe Bridgewater State College on Friday at 7:00 p.m. Wheaton, which defeated the Bears in five in mid-September, is the third seed in the silver bracket, while Bridgewater State is seeded sixth.