CHESTER, Pa. – Even though the fifth-seeded Lycoming College volleyball team posted three more digs than the No. 4-seed Widener University, Widener was able to edge Lycoming, 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-22), in three tightly-contested sets to open the 2016 MAC Commonwealth Championship on Monday night, Oct. 31.
 
The Warriors finish the 2016 season with a 15-20 overall record and a 3-5 mark in the MAC Commonwealth, while Widener improved to 13-17 overall and 4-4 in the MAC Commonwealth. Head coach Tim McMahon won his 250^th career match with the team's final win of the year, a 3-0 win over Hunter on Saturday, Oct. 29.
 
The two teams fought to an 18-18 tie in the first set, with the Warriors garnering the largest lead at three points up to that point. However, Widener won the next two points and a kill by Nicole Dorman put the Pride up 24-21. The Warriors won the next two points, with a kill by senior Kristine Jahn (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) and an ace by Jahn, but a Lycoming attack error ended the set.
 
The Pride led the length of the second set, taking an 18-11 lead before the Warriors rallied within three points at 24-21, but Dorman ended the set with a kill to give the Pride a 25-21 win.
 
In the final set, the two teams again battled to a tie late, with a kill by Natalie Winn breaking a tie at 17 and igniting a three-point run. The Warriors closed within a point twice after that, on kills from freshmen Alysa McDevitt (Warminster, Pa./Archbishop Wood) and Lilly Singleton (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic), but Widener was able to close out a 25-22 win with a kill from Dorman.
 
Senior Tayler Whitman (New Cumberland, Pa./Cedar Cliff) led the Warriors with seven kills and a .462 hitting percentage, leading the team which finished with a .139 hitting percentage (33-19-101). Jahn added six kills, three digs and two blocks. McDevitt added five kills and two blocks and senior Lauren Fink (York, Pa./West York) added four kills and nine digs. Singleton also added four kills.
 
Junior Catherine Burger (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) posted 17 assists, two kills and five digs and freshman Emily Morris (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem North) added seven assists, six digs and an ace. Sophomore Emily Hepner (Leesport, Pa./Schuylkill Valley) added 11 digs and senior Haley Deibert (Herndon, Pa./Tri-Valley) notched six digs.
 
Dorman led the Warriors with 17 kills, 13 digs and three blocks, Winn added nine kills and Janie Kalinock finished with eight kills. Sabrina Barbieri finished with 38 assists and six digs.
 
The match finished the careers of five seniors: Jahn, Fink, Whitman, Deibert and Hannah Vile (Sheffield, Pa./Sheffield Area). The quintet finished their careers with a career record of 75-62 (.547) and with three appearances in the MAC Commonwealth Championship.
 
Fink finished her career third in school history with 213 service aces, fifth with 1,314 digs and 12^th with 916 kills. Jahn finished her career ninth with 995 career kills and 26^th with 103 career blocks. Whitman finished her career 18^th with 597 kills and tied for 14^th with 144 career blocks.