The Hamilton College volleyball team dropped their 2016 NESCAC opener against the Wesleyan University Cardinals in four sets at Wesleyan's Silloway Gym on Friday night.

The Cardinals (3-1, 1-0 NESCAC) won the first set 25-22 before the Continentals tied the match at one set apiece, 25-15. Wesleyan clinched the victory by 25-21 and 25-16 scores in the third and fourth sets.

Giuliana Rankin '20 led Hamilton (2-3, 0-1) with 12 kills and Erin Donahue '18 added eight. Kyndal Burdin '18 passed out 33 assists and was credited with a career-high 19 digs. Burdin is fourth in the conference with 7.41 assists per set. Claire Kitz '19 served a career-best five aces and Christine Zizzi '18 recorded 16 digs. Zizzi is seventh in the NESCAC with 3.90 digs per set. Margaret O'Brien '18 led the defense at the net with three blocks.

Nicole Hilton paced the Cardinals with 10 kills and five blocks. Audrey Konow dished out 37 assists and Olivia Guidotti boasted 21 digs and four aces. Wesleyan finished with a 10-4 advantage in blocks.

The Continentals held a 15-14 edge in the second set when they seized control with six straight points. Kitz smacked a pair of aces during the run.

Hamilton had a slim 16-15 advantage in the third set but the Cardinals ran off the next four points on two kills, an attack error and an ace, and they led the rest of the way. In the deciding fourth set, the Continentals pulled within 5-4 on a Wesleyan attack error. The Cardinals scored seven of the next eight points and cruised the rest of the way.

Hamilton is at Trinity College for another NESCAC match on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m.