Williams Overcomes Middlebury in Volleyball Quarterfinals
Courtesy Williams Sports Information
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Top-seeded host
Williams advanced to the semifinals of the NESCAC tournament with a
3-1 victory over eighth-seeded Middlebury on Friday night in
Chandler Gymnasium. No. 2 seed Wesleyan also earned a trip to the
semifinals, downing No. 7 Bowdoin in four games.
After Middlebury took the first game 30-28, Williams rebounded to
win three-straight games, 30-21, 30-20, 32-30. With the win, the
Ephs improved to 24-6 (10-0 in the NESCAC) on the year, while the
Panthers end their season with a 13-16 (3-7) mark.
A strong defensive effort by the Panthers earned them a 30-28
victory in a competitive first game, but Williams came out on fire
in the second game, opening up an 11-1 lead en route to a 30-21
victory. After posting a comfortable 30-20 win in the third game,
the Ephs looked ready to seal the win, taking an 11-2 lead early in
the fourth game. But Middlebury roared back into contention, first
tying up the contest 20-20 before pulling ahead 26-25.
Senior Lacee Patterson shined for the Panthers with 42 assists, while junior Lexie Fisher and sophomore Olivia Minkhorst each recorded 27 digs. First-year Kate Lupo finished with 14 kills.
Four rookies helped lead the Ephs to victory. First-year Melissa Pun had 18 kills, while first-year Alisha Cahlan chipped in with 16 kills and 3 aces and first-year Chelsea Kubal contributed 20 digs. First-year Whitney Hitchcock finished with 6 blocks, while senior co-captain Alexis Knepp racked up 13 digs and 50 assists.
In other quarterfinal action, Wesleyan downed Bowdoin 3-1. The Cardinals edged the Polar Bears 31-29 in the first game and dropped the second game, 24-30, before closing out the victory with a 30-28 win in the third game and a 30-25 win the fourth game. The Cardinals are now 19-8 (7-3) on the season, while the Polar Bears finish the year at 20-11 (4-6).
First-year setter Ellie Healy was a key to the Cardinal victory, as she provided
48 assists. Also contributing solid performances for Wesleyan were sophomore Lisa Drennan (24 kills) and senior co-captain Tory Moinar (14 digs).
Senior Erin Prifogle tallied a team-high 16 kills for the Polar Bears, while first-year Jenna Diggs was impressive with 29 assists and 16 digs. Junior co-captain Jess Liu recorded 18 digs.
