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.

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.