Mount Holyoke Volleyball huddled in game against the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Image courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Athletics.
By Gigi Picard ’22
Sports Editor
After 542 days of waiting, Mount Holyoke College fall sports have begun their first official competitions. The first teams to kick off their season were Mount Holyoke Cross Country, Field Hockey, Soccer and Volleyball.
Cross Country
On Sept. 3, the cross country team ran at the Wellesley College Invitational on the 5k course. The team placed fourth overall, with Lauren Selkin ’23 in first place. It was Selkin’s personal best by 42 seconds and first win as a Lyon.
“I was very excited to be back to in-person training and competitions,” Selkin said. “I really missed … being able to compete, so being back on a course and [having] people to run against was thrilling.” With a new season ahead, Selkin is “looking forward to working hard, competing, racing alongside my teammates and working to achieve our goals for the season.”
Tessa Lancaster ’25 finished 15th in the race and second for the Lyons. “I’ve rarely seen so many smiles on the line just before a race, and I couldn’t ask for a better atmosphere going into my first college race,” Lancaster said. “As for my own time, I’m really proud of it, especially considering courses with rolling hills have been a challenge for me in the past.” She described the cross country preseason as “an amazing experience.”
“I felt instantly welcomed by the team, especially the upperclassmen, who really helped set a positive tone from the first meeting,” Lancaster added.
Olivia Johnson ’25, Bridget Hall ’24 and Emily Hood ’24 joined Selkin and Lancaster in the top five.
Both the results and the general experience left Cross Country Head Coach Chris Kibler hopeful for the coming season.
“The Wellesley Invite was a ton of fun for everyone. I was most proud of my team for their excitement and positivity in a time [when] many student-athletes would … feel overly nervous and overwhelmed,” he said. Kibler believes the team will “achieve things no other MHC Cross Country team has done.”
Field Hockey
The next team to commence their competition season was Field Hockey. Roger Williams University hosted the team on Saturday, Sept. 4, for a match, which concluded in a 3-2 loss against the Hawks. Forward Kass Lawrence ’22 scored both goals for the Lyons.
Goalkeeper Rachel Katzenberg ’25, who made 11 saves in the game, said the team fought hard for the entirety of the match. “We watch the film, learn what we did wrong and fix it the next time around,” Katzenberg said. “We do not sit around and make the same mistakes.”
For Katzenberg, the loss was still encouraging evidence of the team’s fortitude. “This team plays with lots of heart and doesn’t give up. I noticed that on day one but witnessed it in our opening game.”
Head Coach Andy Whitcomb also had some insights about the team. “In full disclosure, preseason has been incredibly difficult,” he said. “We’ve asked [for] a lot [from] our players, and right now, we are practicing until almost 10 p.m. because we still don’t have our field.” Whitcomb called the players “incredibly resilient, positive [and] upbeat” despite the unfavorable circumstances. “They represent everything good about Division III athletics: They are in it for love of the sport and one another,” Whitcomb stated.
Soccer
Mount Holyoke Soccer began their season with two matches under new Head Coach Breena Proctor. “I want to thank [Interim] Director of Athletics Erica Lemm and the entire search committee for entrusting me with leading the soccer program at Mount Holyoke College,” Proctor told the College in a press release. “I am beyond thrilled to lead this group of people and to be a part of the entire MHC community.” Proctor was a volunteer assistant coach for women’s soccer at Springfield College in 2020. “Everyone at MHC is so supportive, and the community has made me feel welcome in my very short time here,” Proctor commented. “[The team] instantly clicked and ha[s] done a great job build[ing] a positive, hard-working culture among themselves. From a coach[’s] standpoint, it’s amazing to see.”
Lyons Soccer officially opened at an away game against Colby-Sawyer College, culminating in a 2-1 win against the Chargers. The two goals by midfielders Rocio Perez-Salas ’24 and Hannah Keochakian ’25 sealed the victory, aided by goalkeeper Shannon Breen ’24, who came up with two saves. There were impressive performances by the rest of the team as well: Lily Connelly ’24 finished with one shot and a shot on goal and Avery Livingston ’25 made two shots in her first collegiate appearance.
Three days later, the soccer team hosted Skidmore College for their first home opener. The Lyons fell 7-0 to the Thoroughbreds, putting the season record at 1-1. Keochakian, Fionna Kennedy ’23 and Connelly collectively came up with four shots while Breen had 11 saves in the match.
Proctor gave her perspective on Soccer’s opening weekend. “A win in our first game is great for the program, especially [for] a program that has struggled in the past. We executed our style and team identity well,” Proctor said. “Sure, it was a tough loss against Skidmore, but we all recognize that this is part of the process. … We are going to have lots of growing pains. For us, it’s not about the wins and losses — it’s about the process and ways we can find success.”
Volleyball
Mount Holyoke Volleyball team members gather in a huddle. Image courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Athletics.
Like the soccer team, Mount Holyoke Volleyball opened their season with two matches on Sept. 1 and Sept. 4. The team’s first match was at home against the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Trailblazers, ending in a loss in 3-1 sets. McKenna Crosby ’23 produced a team best of seven kills, three aces and two digs. The records didn’t stop there: Chelsea Galicia ’22 finished with a team best of 15 digs.
Volleyball’s next match was hosted by the University of Saint Joseph. The Lyons fell to the Blue Jays after a “five-set thriller,” bringing their season record to 0-2. Still, performances from several team members shone through, with Sarah Bishop ’22 setting a team best of 12 kills and nine digs. Galicia came up with a team best of 24 digs in the game. Lucie Berclaz ’25 finished with six digs in the match. “I think the team as a unit is incredibly strong,” Berclaz said. “We have players with so much experience and skill, and they keep us grounded and guide us during our games and practices.”
Berclaz stated that during the game, “each player was able to come back from every mistake they made.” In a word, Berclaz described the team as “resilient.” “We pushed for every single point. There was so much skill and potential showcased in the game that it makes me very excited for the rest of the season.”
According to Berclaz, Volleyball spent some of their preseason doing team-bonding exercises such as mini-golfing and building cardboard boats to race against each other. Those exercises “ allowed us to gain a sense of who each individual is as a player [and] as a person and how we can grow with them,” Berclaz said. “This is something that will set us up for success.”
After a long time away, Head Coach Iris Carpio is excited that spectators will be allowed back in the stands on Oct. 8, and eager to be able to work with such a “special group” in the first place.
“It was great to have everyone together for the first time in over 520 days,” Carpio said. “As the coach, I definitely sensed from the athletes the urgency to step away from all that has been happening in the world and simply be with one another — to train for a sport, and compete in a sport that brings each of us so much joy.”