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Williams College

Home of the Williams College EPHS
Keely Campuzano
Edan Zinn
3
Winner Williams WILLIAMS 10-6, 3-4
1
Bowdoin BOWDOIN 8-7, 1-5
Winner
Williams WILLIAMS
10-6, 3-4
3
Final
1
Bowdoin BOWDOIN
8-7, 1-5
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Williams WILLIAMS 18 27 25 25 (3)
Bowdoin BOWDOIN 25 25 23 19 (1)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Ephs Methodically Outplay Polar Bears 3-1

Brunswick, Maine - Williams College (10-6, 3-4 NESCAC) took down Bowdoin College (8-7, 1-5 NESCAC) 3-1 with an adaptive mindset that improved each set. 

Annaliese Fricke put the Ephs on the board with a big block following a great read on a strategic back slide by the Polar Bears' middle hitter. Up to the score 6-5 with Williams leading, both teams had been trading off kills relatively evenly, and Williams was seen to have found major success in repeatedly getting up blocks or touches on their hits. Bowdoin found more slight success working around the block, turning their hits into roll shots and tips, and their accumulating momentum rounded up a 5-point run to force the first timeout 10-6. Williams came back to play evenly, but were unable to chop down the deficit due to a series of intricate plays run by their opponent, such as back ones to the opposite hitter, which were difficult to defend. Additionally, as Bowdoin began to find their offensive footing, swinging around the block, they were able to break 20 with a confident 6-point lead over the Ephs. Obi Chi had a strong middle kill, and Tatum Baker was able to find a tool on the outside of the block to start gaining back, 22-17, but Bowdoin was ultimately too far ahead and took the first set 25-18.

In the second set, a phenomenal back row kill from Morgan Daetz to Keely Campuzano awarded the Ephs their third point. The Polar Bears took a small lead, but Helen Qian took the initiative to equalize the game 7-7, starting with a quick back set which she drilled to stop a 3-point run, followed by her strong ace which was shanked out of bounds, and finally her bump set to Annaliese Fricke who hit a smart short ball tightly down the net. Bowdoin rehashed a 2-point lead, but then committed two errors to tie the score 10-10. The teams slightly traded off, until the Polar Bears broke away with a 3-point lead following a block to urge a Williams timeout 16-13. The Ephs seized the lead post-timeout, after a direct block by Obi Chi in the middle and an impossible one-armed dig by Sidra Wohlwend allowed Keely Campuzano to put down the ball 19-18. Williams broke 20 first with a tool by Tatum Baker, and then a short serve and overhead kill by Helen Qian forced another Polar Bears timeout 22-19. Bowdoin immediately equalized the set following two errors and an ace, but Keely Campuzano gave the Ephs the first chance to win, 24-22, following a kill and an ace. The chance to win quickly turned around to the Polar Bears, who achieved a middle kill and received two attack errors, but then a tool by Tatum Baker saved the game at 25. Two fortunate Bowdoin attack errors, one overshot and another into the net, gave the Ephs the set 27-25. 

The third set opened very evenly between the teams. Williams found their way back into closing out with their blocks, achieving the ability for the back row to recover effectively via dulled hits and in turn initiate strong attacks. In the Ephs first four points, middle hitter Helen Qian achieved an impressive three kills. Bowdoin was able to keep up with their opponent and put out the same amount of intensity, and were the first to make a strong breakaway, following a 4-point run to bring the set to 11-8. After an incremental catch up from two kills, the Ephs committed an unfortunate two errors which coerced their team to call a timeout 13-10. Williams couldn't make their breakthrough for many points– a constant 3 or 4 point deficit was maintained with consistent playing by both sides. A small, alarming push was made following a kill by Keely Campuzano and a block by Keely and Obi Chi, inciting a Polar Bears timeout. The Ephs just seemed to get more advantageous, getting two more points to tie the set but immediately fell back two more points after the Polar Bears became troubled and stepped up. In turn, Keely Campuzano stepped up for the Ephs, achieving a kill and two aces to get Williams on a four point run to lead the set 22-20. Post-timeout, Bowdoin climbed back up to a one-point deficit, 23-22, following two clutch kills, but Tatum Baker immediately gave the Ephs the chance to win. After a worrying kill by Bowdoin, pushing to bring the set to two-point advantages, Helen Qian sealed the victory to award Williams their second set 25-23.

Bowdoin blew into the third set strong, with a kill, ace, and block, 3-0. The Ephs came through with two initial points, but were constrained to keep catching up, as the Polar Bears found 2 aces and 5 kills, over a series of dominant exchanges to lead 9-5. However, directly following, Keely Campuzano laid out two consecutive kills and Bowdoin conceded two attacking errors to tie the set. A block by Tatum Baker and Helen Qian, led into an ace by Sidra Wohlwend who gave the Ephs their first lead in the set 13-11. This seemed to slow down Bowdoin, as middle hitter Helen Qian achieved two quick kills back-to-back, but in retribution, two Ephs attacking errors and a kill allowed the Polar Bears to almost catch up and provide enough fear for an Ephs timeout 17-16. Annaliese Fricke tooled the next point to reaffirm their lead, and the Ephs pushed three points, after an attack error, to coerce a Bowdoin timeout 20-17. Post-timeout the Polar Bears seemed to break back in, bringing the set 20-19, but the Ephs, led by Keely Campuzano ignited momentum to gain victory via a 5-point run: Keely achieved two strong blocks and a kill, along with two Polar Bear errors. The final set was completed, a decisive victory 25-19. 

In this match, Helen Qian swung for an impressive 12 kills and .524 hitting percentage, and Keely Campuzano gave the Ephs a total of 26 points.

A proud Eph head coach coach Christi Kelsey provided her remarks towards the game within the broader realm of the season: "As you go through a season, each match is kind of like a midterm or paper that provides an opportunity to see what you have learned so far and where you can keep growing and improving. This match was definitely one of those tests for us. Last night we played really well but missed on some key opportunities that ultimately were the difference in the match. Today, the team really took ownership in close moments, stayed steady and resilient together and trusted in how they could execute and it helped us close out sets and finish the match! Really proud of this group and excited for what's next!"

The Ephs will be back home next Friday, October 18th to host Wesleyan University at 7:00 PM EST.
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