BY MERYL PHAIR ’21
Mount Holyoke’s fall varsity athletic teams have been on campus since August, running around Upper Lake, kicking soccer balls and hitting serves over the volleyball net. Cross Country, Field Hockey, Soccer and Volleyball will be concluding their regular season matchups this weekend before heading into the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tournament play.
The Lyons’ conference is made up of 11 competing academic institutions, including Babson College, Clark University, Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).
Field Hockey
On the afternoon of Oct. 26, Mount Holyoke Field Hockey took to the turf at Smith College, defeating the Pioneers, the 2018 NEWMAC Champions, in a critical 2-0 NEWMAC victory. The Lyons are now 8-8 on the year and 3-4 in conference play. The Lyons are currently ranked fifth out of nine NEWMAC teams, behind Babson, MIT, WPI and Springfield. The field hockey team is gearing up to head into championship season play. They will play WPI on Nov. 2 before entering the NEWMAC tournament.
Soccer
Soccer is currently ranked at the bottom spot of the NEWMAC lineup. The team will compete in their last regular season game against NEWMAC competitor Babson College on Nov. 2 before final NEWMAC standings are determined.
Cross Country
Cross Country will be heading into their NEWMAC meet this weekend, racing at Franklin Park in Boston, MA on Nov. 3. The Lyons are currently ranked fifth out of 11 NEWMAC teams and will be heading into the competition with two first-place team finishes this season. Following the NEWMAC competition, Cross Country will have two weeks off before heading to Regionals held at Bowdoin College on Nov. 16.
Volleyball
Volleyball is ranked at the bottom of their lineup out of 11 NEWMAC teams, with four more scheduled matchups in the 2019 season. Volleyball will play their final games on home court on Nov. 2 against Babson and Sage Colleges.