Equestrian Team competes in Holiday Tournament of Champions

Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics

Mount Holyoke College’s Equestrian Team competed in a Holiday Tournament in early December.

By Elodie Muller ’29

Staff Writer

As the cold of winter approaches Mount Holyoke College, the equestrian team has had a great month. The Lyons tied for second place out of nine teams at the Trinity College Show on Sunday, Nov. 2, at Folly Farm in Simsbury, Connecticut. On Saturday, Nov. 8, Mount Holyoke finished third out of 11 teams at the Bentley/WPI Show, held at Maplewood Farm in Berlin, Massachusetts. They placed second out of 11 teams at the Mount Holyoke Show, located at the Equestrian Center on Mount Holyoke College’s campus in South Hadley, Massachusetts, on Saturday, Nov. 15.

“We started the season off really strong, but we didn’t do as well as we would have liked in our last couple of shows,” Cloe Hinck ’28 said in an email to Mount Holyoke News.

Unlike typical equestrian competitions, this competition did not affect the standings of the teams participating whatsoever. Instead, these riders competed out of love and enjoyment of the sport.

Though the months of the calendar dwindle as the end of the year swiftly approaches, the equestrian season will continue into the spring.

“We still have three shows in the spring, which we are excited and ready for,” Hinck shared.

The future of Mount Holyoke’s hunt seat team is filled with optimism for 2026 as they look forward to competitions at UMass Amherst, Springfield-Westfield State and Mount Holyoke College in February and March.

Since writing, Mount Holyoke’s Equestrian Team has participated in the Holiday Tournament of Champions, which took place on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Centenary University in Long Valley, New Jersey. The tournament featured one rider from each division and did not have any impact on Mount Holyoke’s standing in the division. Mount Holyoke’s hunt seat team will next participate in the UMass-Amherst Show on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Muddy Brook Farm in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Karishma Ramkarran ’27 contributed fact checking.

Mount Holyoke basketball breaks losing streak in exciting victory

Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics

MHC Basketball won a game on Nov. 25, 2025.

By Bri Shmulewitz ’28

Staff Writer

Nov. 25 was not just the last day of classes before break, but also the last day of the years-long November losing streak that has plagued the Mount Holyoke basketball team. Their 45-43 win over Lesley University was their first time they have won a game before December since defeating Dean College in November of 2022. 

This record is not the only part of this season which has improved since last year. In the past seven games, they have averaged 47.4 points and 45.4 rebounds per game — an improvement from last year’s 44.4 points and 42 rebounds per game over a total of 25 games. The offense is not the only part of their play to make a leap. The team is also averaging 4.3 more steals and 1.8 more blocks overall than last season so far. 

That combination was the cause of their narrow victory.  The Lyons were losing 43-39 going into the fourth quarter, but completely turned it around at the end. In the final 10 minutes of the game, they were the only team to score, adding six points to their total, allowing them to lead by one after Alex Twomey ’26 made a free throw with 19 seconds left. The Lynx still had a chance, but with four seconds left, Mount Holyoke’s Sofia Francisco ’27 rejected the potentially game-tying shot of Lesley’s Shayla King. The Lynx got the rebound and attempted another basket, but Francisco — whose 24 blocks are the third most in D3 women’s basketball at the time of writing — simply blocked it again as the buzzer ran out. 

It was not just the starters that won them the game, though Twomey’s and Taryn White’s ’26 double doubles certainly helped. The Lyons finished with more points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks than the Lynx and the bench players were a major part of that. They added five points, 10 rebounds, three assists and four steals to the Lyons totals, contributions that proved essential in a game decided by a mere two points. 

The season has just begun for the Lyons and the future is bright. They next play Elms College on Tuesday, Dec. 9, in Chicopee, Massachusetts, where they hope to add to their win total in the last game of 2025.

Karishma Ramkarran ’27 contributed fact checking. 

Volleyball season concludes at NEWMAC Quarterfinal against Babson

BY ELODIE MULLER ‘29

STAFF WRITER

The 2025 season for Mount Holyoke College’s volleyball team came to a close on Tuesday, Nov. 11, with a 3-1 defeat to Babson College. The game was Mount Holyoke’s first playoff appearance in nearly 20 years. The No. 7-seeded Mount Holyoke went up against the second-seeded Babson at Babson Park, Massachusetts.

For Mount Holyoke, the starting lineup consisted of Sadie Duffrin ’26, Elle Rimando ’26, Madeline Barton ’26, Sonja Gray ’28, Milan Dansoh ’29 and Amelia Ringor ’26. For Duffrin, Rimando, Barton and Ringor, this was their last volleyball game at Mount Holyoke College, as they graduate in spring 2026.

The Lyons lost their initial set at a score of 25-13. This loss was compounded by losing the second set with a score of  25-20. However, a glimmer of hope came in the third set as Mount Holyoke won with a score of 25-23. The winning point in that set was scored by senior  Rimando. Ultimately, however, Mount Holyoke’s season came to an end with a loss, with the final set ending in a score of 25-16 in favor of Babson.

Despite the disappointment of the season’s ending, Mount Holyoke’s volleyball team still holds its head high. This season marked the team’s “second winning record” since 1992 and the most total and conference victories since 1994, according to the Mount Holyoke Athletics website. Though the team will face the loss of its graduating seniors next season, the future still looks bright for Mount Holyoke’s volleyball team.

Karishma Ramkarran ’27 contributed fact-checking.

Cross country wraps up 2025 season with NCAA Championships

Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics

Mount Holyoke’s cross country team closed out their 2025 season with the NCAA Championships.

BY BEI JIA VIGGIANO ‘28

SPORTS EDITOR

As November comes to a close and Fall Break begins, Mount Holyoke College’s cross country team has finished its 2025 season.

The Lyons’ cross country season kicked off at a Wellesley Invitational on Friday, Aug. 29, on the Nehoiden Golf Course in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Mount Holyoke placed third out of four teams, behind winner Wellesley College and runner-up Brandeis University. Simmons University followed Mount Holyoke in fourth place. Mount Holyoke’s total time was 1:45:47, with the average time being 21:09.

The first and only invitational event in September took place in the latter half of the month. The UMass-Dartmouth Invitational was held on Saturday, Sept. 20, in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. The Lyons placed 22nd out of 36 teams, including the winner, Boston University, and runner-up, Brown University. Mount Holyoke’s total time was 2:05:26, and the Lyons’ average time was 25:05.

In October, Mount Holyoke participated in the Keene State Invitational at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday, Oct. 4, in Keene, New Hampshire. The Lyons placed 12th out of 26 teams, which included Williams College, the winner, and Tufts University, the runner-up. The Lyons’ total and average times were 2:05:07 and 25:01, respectively. At the Connecticut College Invitational at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, Connecticut, on Saturday, Oct. 18, Mount Holyoke placed 27th out of 33 teams. Once again the roster included Williams and Tufts, who earned first and second place. Mount Holyoke’s total time was 2:06:34, while the average time was 25:18.

The month of November featured several postseason events, beginning with the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference Championships at Highland Park in Attleboro, Massachusetts, on Saturday, Nov. 1. The Lyons emerged 10th out of 12 competing teams. MIT and the United States Coast Guard Academy placed first and second, respectively, while Mount Holyoke was behind Salve Regina University and followed by Emerson College. The Lyons’ total time was 2:10:39, and the average time was 26:08.

Halfway through November, Mount Holyoke participated in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Regionals, held at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, on Saturday, Nov. 15. The Lyons placed 18th out of 25 teams, closely behind SUNY New Paltz and followed by Hartford University. Williams College emerged triumphant, with Middlebury College as the runner-up.

The final cross country event of the 2025 season was the NCAA Division III Championships, organized at the Roger Milliken Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 12 p.m.

Karishma Ramkarran ’27 contributed fact-checking. 

Mount Holyoke Volleyball maintains balance of wins and loses

Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics

Mount Holyoke Volleyball has had a pattern of wins and losses throughout the beginning of the season, with their longest winning streak being three.

By Bei Jia Viggiano ’28

Sports Editor

As the fall season dawns and students return from the break, Mount Holyoke’s volleyball team has been busy. The months of September and October have been a series of wins and losses that hang in a precarious balance.

The first match of the season was against the University of Saint Joseph on Saturday, Aug. 30, in West Hartford, Connecticut. The Lyons emerged victorious 3-0. They later competed against Eastern Connecticut State University on the same date and location, where they lost 3-1.

“This season, some of our players have moved around positions, which has allowed us to spread out our offense and become a less predictable team,” Sadie Duffrin ’26 said in an email to Mount Holyoke News.

September kicked off with a game against Amherst College on Friday, Sept. 5, in Amherst, Massachusetts. Despite the team’s valiant efforts, the Lyons lost 3-1 again. The following day, Mount Holyoke competed in a match against Fitchburg State University in West Hartford, Connecticut, and prevailed 3-0. Later that same day, the Lyons triumphed against their host, the University of Hartford, with a victory of 3-1.

“We’ve also been trying to have the mentality of adjustment and how to exploit what the other team is doing instead of focusing on what we’re doing,” Duffrin continued.

A third consecutive win for Mount Holyoke was earned on Friday, Sept. 12, in Poughkeepsie, New York. In a match against Mount Saint Mary College, the Lyons won 3-0. Later that day, the streak was ended by a defeat to the host, Vassar College, with a loss of 3-0.

With these alternating wins and losses throughout September and October, the team's win-loss record is in an oscillating pattern.

“It’s been a great season so far, and we hope to keep improving and win more conference games as it goes on,” Duffrin concluded.

Mount Holyoke’s volleyball team has since competed in a game against Wellesley College on Tuesday, Oct. 14, in Wellesley, Massachusetts. They will next face Babson College on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at 1 p.m. at Mount Holyoke College.

Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27 contributed fact-checking.

Mount Holyoke Field Hockey team secures a four-game winning streak

Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics

The field hockey team maintained a four-game streak, their largest margin being 8-0 against Elms.

By Bei Jia Viggiano ’28

Sports Editor

As incoming and returning students moved into their dorms in late August, Mount Holyoke’s field hockey team kicked off the 2025 season. With both wins and losses, the season has been a steady rise to success for the team.

The first game of the season was on Saturday, Aug. 30, against the University of Southern Maine in Gorham, Maine, where the Lyons lost 2-0. The next day, they competed against Thomas College in Waterville, Maine, and once again lost 2-0.

Their first September match was on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The Lyons faced the University of Saint Joseph in a home game. Mount Holyoke scored two goals early on, holding a lead of 2-1 by the end of the first period. A score by Saint Joseph in the fourth period and a comeback shot in overtime resulted in a loss for the Lyons, leaving the final score 3-2.

“Our biggest struggle was ultimately putting the ball in the net,” Rory Bernardo ’29 said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “Our first three games, we dominated but failed to execute on goals early on, so it has been made a priority of every player to score early and often.”

The first season win for the Lyons was at a home game against Dean College. On Thursday, Sept. 11, the field hockey team triumphed with a 4-0 victory. This was only the beginning of a series of victories for the Lyons.

“We have always been a tight-knit group,” Ashley Scott ’27 said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “But recently, we have really started learning each other’s playing styles and tuning into each other’s strengths, which has helped us catapult our season in the right direction.”

Over the next week, the Lyons continued to prevail. Their next match was against Albertus Magnus College on Saturday, Sept. 13, in New Haven, Connecticut. Mount Holyoke secured its second win of the season with a score of 6-0.

Three days later, in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the Lyons faced Elms College on Tuesday, Sept. 16. The Lyons were victorious with a score of 8-0 the largest margin of success the team has had this season so far.

“We’ve really gained some much-deserved confidence,” Bernardo continued. “A lot of people are playing new positions, so it was tough to find our rhythm. That said, once we started to learn more about each other’s playing styles, we were able to succeed.”

The winning streak didn’t end on Thursday, Sept. 18, when Mount Holyoke competed against Nichols College. The home game resulted in a score of 4-0, marking a fourth consecutive win for the Lyons.

“We’ve been having great energy throughout the game, scoring early, and giving it our all every quarter,” Scott continued. “It’s been so fun to be back out on the field with the team. We’re a family, we have great chemistry, and we are always pushing each other to be better than the day before.”

On Saturday, Sept. 20, Mount Holyoke faced the Massachusetts Institute of Technology  at a conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT was in the lead with a goal in the first period. The Lyons tied the score in the second period, but MIT prevailed with a shot in the fourth period, making the final score 2-1.

“After a challenging game, we keep our heads up, try new strategies in practice, hype each other up, and watch film in order to better ourselves for next time,” Scott explained. “We come prepared to take on the next challenge together.”

“This team has really felt like a home to me,” Bernardo said. “Being a freshman, I was super nervous to meet new people and make a good impression, but my teammates immediately welcomed me with open arms and showed me that this is where I’m meant to be.”

Mount Holyoke’s field hockey team has since competed in a home game against Babson College on Saturday, Sept. 27. They will next face Wheaton College on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at 1 p.m. at Mount Holyoke College.

Karishma Ramkarran ’27 contributed fact checking.