After traveling to Amherst to compete in the NESCAC championship, Middlebury returned to campus Sunday with their third ever conference title and first since 1998. The Panthers took on Trinity Friday night, Williams Saturday afternoon, and, after the 1st seeded Lord Jeffs lost in the semifinals, defeated Tufts in the final match. Throughout this hard fought weekend, Middlebury did not give up a single set until the final match when they gave up a close 2nd set and went on to win 3-1.
Friday’s quarterfinal against Trinity was an opportunity for the Panthers to get revenge over the Bantams after Trinity’s victory in their previous match up. The first match between the two schools was an extremely close Panther loss in the fifth set, but this game was an entirely different story. Middlebury defeated Trinity 3-0 in a decisive victory to start the weekend. The victory put them into the semifinals for the first time in six years. Lauren Barrett ’11 picked up 45 assists and 22 digs while rookie star Megan Jarchow ’14 picked up 18 kills and 10 digs.
Middlebury continued to dominate in Saturday’s match against Williams. Although this was a closer match than the one against Trinity, Middlebury still eliminated Williams 3-0. Despite some surges by the Ephs, Middlebury managed to stay steady and come out ahead. Jane Handel ’12 led with 14 kills, with Julia Gibbs ’13 picking up a close 13 kills and Barrett continuing to shine with 39 assists and 10 digs.
On Sunday afternoon, the Panthers defeated Tufts to claim the championship trophy. After defeating Amherst on Saturday, Tufts fell in the final match for the second straight year. In an extremely close match, the Panthers came out on top with a 3-1 victory. With the score tied after two sets, Middlebury rallied to take the third set and squeezed out a 26-24 victory in the fourth set. In addition to winning the title, the Panthers also extended their winning streak to an impressive nine games. Many players contributed immensely to the victory in the final match. Jarchow earned 17 kills and 28 digs, Caitlin Barrett ’13 had 47 digs, and Handel had 13 kills, including the winner in the first set.
For her role in helping the Panthers win the championship, Jarchow was named NESCAC Player of the Week. After an outstanding rookie season, some might say the honor was overdue. This marks the fifth time a Middlebury player has been awarded player of the week this season.
“We knew it was an important weekend and we showed up to win,” said Elissa Goeke ’12. She added that the team’s “mental toughness” played a role in their dominance this weekend. President of the College Ronald D. Leibowitz is reported to have watched the final game and congratulated the team on the win. The Panthers extended their season by earning an automatic NCAA bid.
Volleyball tears through tournament to win title
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