Volleyball Looks to NESCAC Upset

Author: Dan Russell

The Middlebury College Women's Volleyball team finished out the season strong, going 2-2 and defeating two conference opponents on the road, thereby ensuring a spot in the upcoming NESCAC tournament.

In their final home game of the season, the Panthers sought a measure of revenge against a St. Michael's team that had defeated them in the second game of the year. Although the Panthers fought hard, pushing the game to five matches, winning the second and fourth match, and pushing the third into overtime, they were unable to clinch the final match, losing 16-14. In a losing effort, phenomenal Lacee Patterson '06.5 (13 kills, 15 digs) and Sydney Hartsock '05 (19 kills, 22 digs) had exceptional all-around performances, while Jamie Wong '06 astounded with a season-high 31 digs. Laurie Wollin '05 added 25 digs of her own, and co-captain Danielle Boniello was a force at net with 5 solo blocks.

The Panthers then traveled to Connecticut this past weekend for a a three-game stint against Connecticut College, Trinity and Wesleyan. On Friday, the Panthers easily dispatched the Camels in three straight matches 30-22, 30-12 and 30-22. Co-captains Katy Hicks and Boniello were the stories of the game as they combined for 25 kills, giving Connecticut no opportunity to mount any kind of offensive.

On Saturday, in the first game of a double-header, they faced a Trinity College team they had easily defeated earlier in the year. The second match-up, however, proved to be a more challenging affair as an improved Bantams squad pushed the Panthers to five-games. After winning the first match, the Panthers struggled, falling in the next two. However, they were able to battle back, winning the fourth game and finally prevailing in the fifth, 15-8. Patterson (14 kills, 25 digs) and Hartsock (10 kills, 27 digs) once again demonstrated their versatility, while Hicks amassed an impressive 17 kills. Wollin also made a significant contribution on offense with four service aces. On the defensive end, Wong had another impressive outing with 27 digs while Boniello continued to dominate around the net with two solo blocks and five block assists.

A tired Panthers squad faltered in the second game of the day, losing in four matches (24-30, 30-24, 16-30 26-30) to a strong Wesleyan team. Patterson (12 kills, 20 digs) and Hartsock had (8 kills, 14 digs) once again had strong performances.

Although the season ended on a slightly sour note, captain Hicks remained optimistic about their play and their prospects in the tournament. "I thought we played well. We beat the teams we had to beat. We've played well in past tournaments as a seventh seed, and we're optimistic about our chances and looking forward to a challenge," she said. The Panthers still finished a respectable 12-12, and will be seeded seventh in the NESCAC tourney. They are slated to play Bates in the first round.