6th Seeded Ephs Defeat 3rd Seeded Middlebury, Advance to NESCAC Semifinals

Williamstown, MA - Williams College (15-8, 4-5 NESCAC) traveled to face Middlebury College (15-8, 7-3 NESCAC) in the second round of the NESCAC Tournament and came away with a hard-fought 3-2 victory, advancing the Ephs to the semi-finals next weekend.

The two teams traded the lead back and forth early in the fifth set but the Ephs finally seized the lead for good with a four point run in which first year Keely Campuzano contributed two kills and teamed up with senior Marit Hoyem for two blocks to turn a 7-7 tie into a 11-7 lead. Although the Panthers won three in a row to trim the deficit to one, the Ephs won the next four to close out the match, winning the fifth set 15-10 after a powerful kill from first year Tatum Baker.

The Ephs got off to a good start in the first set as both senior Lauren Kauppila and Tatum Baker contributed aces in the first five points. The Panthers quickly got on track though, and the two teams traded the lead back and forth over the course of the set. A solo block from Marit Hoyem stretched the Williams lead to 12-9, but Middlebury won four of the next five to tie the score at 13-13. Marit Hoyem put down a powerful kill to make it 20-20, then Middlebury reeled off five points in a row to secure the first set 25-20. 

Both teams led early on in the second set but it was Williams who controlled much of the action. A kill by senior Celia Adams made it 18-12 for the Ephs heading into a timeout by the Panthers. Middlebury won five straight to pull within one point late in the set but the Ephs surged to clinch the second set 25-21 with a double block from Marit Hoyem and Keely Campuzano.

The third set was all Williams in the beginning as the Ephs raced out to a 13-3 advantage. Middlebury made an impressive late surge to pull within three at 21-18, but once again the Ephs got back on track and closed out the third set 25-21 after a Panther error.

The fourth set featured a lot of back and forth action between the two teams as an early 10-6 deficit for the Ephs was quickly erased and Williams took a 16-15 lead after an ace from first year Morgan Daetz. The Ephs led 20-18 after a double block from sophomore Sydney Eyestone and Marit Hoyem but the Panthers rattled off several points in a row to set up several set points. Williams was able to save three of them, but on the fourth try Middlebury broke through and secured the fourth set 27-25.

Middlebury leaders were: senior Katie Kraczkowsky with 16 kills, junior Gabbie O'Toole with 41 assists, and senior Kelly Ferrero with 18 digs. Williams leaders were: Celia Adams with 17 kills, Lauren Kauppila and Morgan Daetz with 23 assists each, and junior Sidra Wohlwend with 25 digs.

Reflecting on the the win, Eph head coach Christi Kelsey commented, "First and foremost, so incredibly proud of this team! They showed so much mental toughness and resiliency throughout the match especially in the 5th set! Middlebury is a great team and they definitely pushed us to adjust and respond throughout the match. Our crew stayed focused and really leaned on each other to pull out that final set! Excited for the opportunity to continue to play!"

The Ephs will be back in action in the NESCAC semifinals against Tufts at 7:30 pm EST in Middletown, CT on Friday, November 10th. In the regular season match on October 13 at Tufts the host Jumbos edged the Ephs 3-2.