SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – The Norwich University volleyball team opened up its 2014 season with a split in a non-conference tri-match at Mount Holyoke College.

Norwich fell 3-1 to Worcester State in its opener, before rallying for a 3-1 win over Mount Holyoke in its second match of the day.

Junior Tara Lyons (Pocasset, Mass.) and senior Alex Palmer (South Windsor, Conn.) each totaled 21 kills on the day to lead the Norwich attack. Seniors Kelsey Mancini (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Corinne Baita (Rochester, N.H.) had 18 and 13 kills respectively as well.

Freshman setter Katherine Crane (Avon, N.Y.) had a solid debut for the Maroon & Gold, totaling 37 assists against Worcester State and 36 against Mount Holyoke. Sophomore libero Alex Ruediger (Sandy Lake, Pa.) had 45 combined digs between the two matches.

Mancini led Norwich vs. Worcester State with 13 kills and three digs, but the Lancers prevailed in four sets by scores of 25-19, 18-25, 25-17 and 25-15. Alyssa Jasper led Worcester State with 14 kills.

In the second match, Norwich dropped the first set 25-23, before rallying to win the next three by scores of 25-11, 26-24 and 25-21.

Lyons had 13 kills and eight digs to lead Norwich, while Palmer chipped in with 11 kills and 10 digs.

Norwich returns to the court next weekend when it travels the UMass-Dartmouth Tournament. The Cadets will face Regis and Framingham State on Friday, before taking UMass-Dartmouth and Eastern Nazarene on Saturday.

-CADETS-