WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - First-year
Eve Kaplan and sophomore
Chi Obi recorded match-bests of 21 digs and 13 kills, respectively, for the Williams College volleyball team during a 3-1 setback to No. 13-ranked Colby Friday evening at Chandler Gymnasium.
Sophomore
Lilly Carstens led all student-athletes with 22 assists, to go along with six digs, while junior
Morgan Daetz contributed with 17 assists and eight digs for the Ephs (13-2, 4-2 NESCAC). Senior captain
Helen Qian, sophomore
Lilly Fox and Obi combined for nine block assists and two solo blocks. First-year
Adalena Rodgers provided a spark with seven kills and seven digs, while junior
Tatum Baker made her presence felt with nine kills and six digs.
The Ephs came out fast in the opening set, building a 5-2 advantage on a kill by Fox. Williams expanded its lead to 15-10, but the Mules (14-1, 4-1 NESACAC) cut the deficit down to 17-15. The hosts went in front, 19-15, on back-to-back kills by Obi and Qian, and then a kill by Rodgers clinched a 25-21 victory. Daetz (8 assists), Kaplan (6 digs) and Qian (4 kills) led the way in the first set.
A kill by LJ Grant gave Colby a 19-11 lead in the second set, but Williams responded with four consecutive points, reducing the deficit to 19-15 on a kill by Baker. A kill by Grant secured a 25-16 triumph for the visitors and evened the set count at 1-1.
The hosts developed a 7-6 lead in the third on a kill by Qian, but Colby took the lead at 8-7 and never trailed again in the set. Grant once again provided the game-clinching kill, giving the Mules a 25-18 win. During the fourth set, Colby raced out to a 6-0 lead, but four straight points, featuring two kills by Obi, one kill by Rodgers and one kill by Baker, allowed the hosts to develop a 15-13 advantage. Neither team was able to build a lead of more than two points for the remainder of the set, as Gabby Grujic delivered the match-clinching service ace in a 25-23 triumph.
Grant (12 kills, 12 digs) and Grujic (21 assists, 8 digs) played well for Colby. Kaplan has posted 20 or more digs in three matches this season for the Ephs, while Obi has reached double figures in kills during six of the last seven matches.
Williams will compete against Bowdoin Saturday at 2 p.m. in Chandler Gymnasium.
