AMHERST, Mass. -- Senior Caroline Tilton has 12 kills Friday night, helping the Amherst College volleyball team to a 3-0 sweep (25-23, 25-16, 25-16) of Hamilton College in both teams conference opener in LeFrak Gym.

The Mammoths improved to 3-2 on the season, 1-0 in NESCAC play while Hamilton fell to 4-1 and 0-1 in the conference. Amherst will host Middlebury tomorrow at 2 p.m.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

* The first set was tied 4-4 early on, but a 7-1 Amherst run created some space to the tune of an 11-5 lead that ultimately was the difference in the set being won by the Mammoths, 25-23. Chloe Chanren, who served four points in the run, had a service ace that made it 8-5. Back-to-back kills from Kinsey Cronin extended the Mammoths lead to 11-5. The Continentals did rally to tie the game 17-17, but a Sam Underwood kill off an set from Jacqueline Kortekaas regained the lead for the Mammoths. With the match tied at 19, Chanren delivered a timely ace for a one-point lead. Up 23-22, Cronin and Tilton came through with a block for a 24-22 lead. A kill from Tilton off an assist from Carly Cooper ended the set.

* The Mammoths led 7-6 in the second set but reeled off five straight points to take a 12-6 lead. Cronin and Tilton teamed up for another big block kill, and a Tilton kill followed by an Anaya Thomas kill made it a six-point lead. The Mammoths closed out the set with four straight points, three coming off kills from Cooper, Tilton and Kayla Holloway, to account for the 25--16 final. 

* Amherst kept its collective foot on the gas in the third set, running out to an 8-3 and never looking back in a 25-16 match-clinching victory. Tilton had three of the first eight points herself. Up 13-7, Amherst reeled off six straight points to put the set out of reach. Cooper was on the serve for five of the points and Cronin, Tilton and Thomas all had kills. Thomas punctuated the run with back-to-back kills that made it 19-7 Amherst.

BY THE NUMBERS:

* Libero Lizzie Papalia had a nice night for the Mammoths, registering a team-high 20 digs. Underwood finished with 12. Cooper had 20 assists. Cronin finished with six kills and Thomas five.

* Amherst's hitting percentage for the match was .240.