Volleyball Mashes Maine Schools in Prep for NESCAC Tournament; Secure Sixth Seed

The Middlebury volleyball team ended the regular season on a positive note, winning both of its last home games to finish with a solid record of 18-6. On Friday, Nov. 1 they bested Bowdoin 3-1, then followed up by beating Bates by the same score on Saturday, Nov. 2. The Panthers improved to 5-5 in NESCAC play to tie for 6th place along with Trinity.

Friday’s win against Bowdoin was an especially important victory, as it demonstrated Middlebury could keep up with the best of NESCAC volleyball. Before facing off against the Panthers, the Polar Bears were 8-1 in conference play, losing only to powerhouse Williams in a close game.

The first set was disheartening for Middlebury, as they couldn’t keep up with a close 17-25 loss. Despite only committing five errors, Middlebury seemed listless on offense through the first set, mustering up only five kills on 33 touch attempts.  However, Middlebury was able to turn it around in the second, notching 13 kills to win 25-18.  Despite a close third set (25-23), Bowdoin was unable to keep up the fight. Middlebury punctuated its proud performance with a final set score of 25-17, including a 7-0 run, mirroring Bowdoin’s first set dominance. Lizzy Reed ’15 came up with 21 digs on the game, committing zero errors.

Saturday’s matchup against Bates provided an opportunity for the Panthers to consolidate their place in the NESCAC tournament. Bates has suffered within conference play this season, and came into the game sitting at a lowly 2-7 record.

Middlebury commanded the first set with a 25-13 win, letting the Bobcats know who was in charge early on. However, Bates wasn’t ready to concede keeping up in the second set, only losing 25-21. In the third set, Bates escaped with a 25-23 win, capitalizing on eight Middlebury errors. However, the Panthers weren’t going to allow a comeback on their own court, and put the game away with a 25-19 victory in the fourth and final set.

Captains Megan Jarchow ’14 and Amy Hart ’14 both put up 18 kills, ending their impressive offensive seasons without skipping a beat. Olivia Kolodka ’15 matched their offensive output with a defensive outing of 18 digs.

With positive end to the season, the Panthers are optimistic of their chances in the NESCAC tournament.

“Doing so successfully during the last weekend of the regular season gives us a lot of confidence going into the tournament,” Gabi Rosenfeld ’17 said. “Hopefully we can carry our success against Amherst. I think our offense will be able to match any others in the NESCAC.”

Middlebury looks ahead to its first match of the NESCAC tournament and postseason on Friday, Nov. 8. They face Amherst, who they lost to on their first meeting of the season, but defeated the second time around.