BOSTON, Mass. – In a devastating display that saw the No. 14 ranked Wesleyan volleyball team hit a season-best .413 for the match, the Cardinals landed a 3-0 sweep (25-16, 25-8, 25-13) of Emerson on Saturday afternoon from Brown & Plofker Gym. With the win, Wesleyan moves to 17-1, securing the best start to a season in program history. The Lions drop to 12-8 with the loss.
 
Wesleyan's landmark victory secures the best start in team history, as the 2022 and 1989 Wesleyan squads both started 16-1 before suffering a second defeat. The win also represents the sixth straight victory for Wesleyan who land their seventh 3-0 sweep playing away from home this season.
 
The Cardinals thoroughly dominated play, landing 45 kills with a season-low seven attack errors in 92 attempts for a season-high .413 attack percentage. Kate Long '24 and Mariko Tanaka '24 put up near-identical stat sheets with Long finishing with 11 kills and no errors 17 attempts (.647 attack percentage) while Tanaka landed 10 kills with no errors n 15 attempts. Long's 11 kills are a season-high and just one off her career-high while Tanaka matches her season-high with 10 kills.
 
Sophia Lindus '26 had an excellent showing, recording a team-leading 14 kills on 33 attempts (.364) while adding 10 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Kathryn Morton '24 posted five kills, five total blocks, and three digs. Maya Lopansri '25 went for 32 assists and five digs. Bianca Ortiz '24 tallied 16 digs while Elliana Moreno '27 added 11.
 
In what was the closest set of the night, Wesleyan still managed to win by nine points in a 25-16 first set triumph. Wesleyan jumped out to a 6-2 lead with Tanaka playing a big role in the early going with two kills and two blocks in the opening 10 points. The Cardinals' lead hovered around five points before a 9-0 run put the set away.
 
The Cardinals posted their biggest set win of the season in set two, finishing off a 25-8 victory. Moreno served the Cardinals to a 10-0 lead as Emerson had no answer. Wesleyan stretched their lead to 16-2 before finishing the set on a 4-0 run, including back-to-back kills from Long, to finish off a +17 set win.
 
Yet another early run vaulted the visitors into a 6-0 lead which later stretched to 14-5. The Cardinals led by double digits at 18-8 in the third set before closing the match with a 25-13 win. That third set saw Wesleyan hit a staggering .485 with 18 kills and two errors coming from just 33 attempts.
 
Wesleyan looks to secure the top seed in the NESCAC Tournament on Friday night as the Cardinals travel to Middlebury for a 7 PM start. A win over the Panthers would seal the #1 for Wesleyan for the second straight season.