Volleyball Team Spiked in NESCAC Quarterfinals

Middlebury’s volleyball squad ended its season sooner than hoped last Friday, Nov. 8, exiting the NESCAC tournament in the first round. The Panthers capped off the season with a quarterfinals match against Amherst, an opponent they had faced twice already this year, ultimately losing 3-1. This was the Panthers’ earliest exit from the tournament since 2009, when they also lost to Amherst in the quarterfinals. Compared to last years NESCAC championship, this premature exit from the tournament stung, but Middlebury did not go down easy.

Amherst, who went on to the semifinals to lose to Bowdoin 3-2, was coming off of an extremely successful season. They went 20-8 overall, and 7-3 in conference to tie for third in the NESCAC standings with Tufts. The Lord Jeffs swept the first meeting between themselves and the Panthers, but the second match ended in a gritty 3-2 win for Middlebury.

On Friday, it was the Jeffs who came out on top, defeating the Panthers with a final score of 3-1. It was a tale of frustration for Middlebury, as the errors they had worked all season to eliminate came back to haunt them in the tournament. Middlebury left the game with a total of 33 errors, compared to Amherst’s 18. Middlebury showed hope within the first set, holding the Jeffs to a .023 hitting percentage, and only eight kills. Compared to Middlebury’s 14 kills and .158 percentage, things were looking positive for the Panthers, who won the first set 25-21. Unfortunately, they couldn’t keep their pace steady, and dropped a lengthy second set 27-29. Despite getting 21 kills on the set, their 12 errors on defense kept them from sealing the deal. The Jeffs earned a more comfortable win in the third set 21-25, where they hit an impressive .361, then cruised to an easy 18-25 victory in the fourth set.

Coach Sarah Raunecker remained happy with her teams valiant efforts.

“The early exit was hard, but we walked away with our heads held high,” she said. “This team worked hard this year, and I’m proud of that.”

Co-captains Megan Jarchow ‘14 and Amy Hart ‘14 both walked away with 24 kills, an impressive feat that surely kept the Panthers in the game longer than the team’s errors would have otherwise permitted. Both of their impressive careers were ended how they were spent, making opposing NESCAC defenses seem foolish. Defensive star Lizzy Reed ’15 had 23 digs on the game, reflecting a dominant season spent preventing the Panthers opponents from putting points on the board. Melanie English ’17 ended the game with a .361 kill percentage.

Despite ending the year sooner than expected, the Panthers had an impressive season by any standard. Their 18-7 record reflects the hard work they put into their team, and in the end the Panthers were proud of their efforts.

“This team has worked so hard this season, especially in light of the many injuries.,” said Jarchow. “We have really come together to step it up and make things happen. We could hang with and beat any team that comes our way.”