WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - First-year
Eve Kaplan totaled 39 digs and junior
Keely Campuzano combined for 28 kills in two matches for the Williams College volleyball team Saturday, as the Ephs defeated Maine Maritime Academy, 3-0, and nearly pulled off a dramatic comeback from 2-0 down against Middlebury but fell a little short during a 3-2 setback at Chandler Gymnasium.
"This was one of those important days in our season where we learned a lot about ourselves that hopefully will only help us going forward," said head coach
Christi Kelsey. "The Middlebury match we knew was going to be a battle and it turned out to be exactly that. We definitely saw some of our best volleyball at times and moments where we could execute better. There are going to be many more opportunities going forward with our NESCAC schedule that find ourselves in some really tough matchups. We are going to take what we learned today and be better prepared to rise up to the next challenge."
During the first match against Middlebury (9-4, 3-0 NESCAC), Kaplan recorded a career-best and match-leading 31 digs for the Ephs (11-1, 2-1 NESCAC), while Campuzano led all student-athletes with 19 kills. Sophomore
Chi Obi (14 kills), junior
Tatum Baker (12 digs, 10 kills) and sophomore
Lilly Fox (career-best 10 kills) were forces at the net, while junior
Morgan Daetz (27 assists) and sophomore
Lilly Carstens (20 assists, 11 digs) orchestrated the offense. First-year
Adalena Rodgers recorded a personal-best 12 digs.
The Panthers won the first two sets by scores of 25-23 and 25-19, respectively, but Williams refused to go quietly, storming out to a 6-1 advantage in the third set on a kill by senior captain
Helen Qian. Back-to-back kills by Rodgers and Campuzano clinched a 25-18 win for the hosts.
During the fourth set, the Ephs never trailed and built a 12-3 advantage on a service ace by Daetz. Baker and Campuzano put the finishing touches on the set with back-to-back kills, giving the unit a 25-18 victory and setting up the decisive fifth set and the race to 15 points.
The Ephs sprinted out to a 4-1 lead in the final set, and then Middlebury responded with a 9-4 surge, claiming a 10-8 advantage. Williams responded with three consecutive points, regaining the lead on a kill by Obi. The Panthers persevered down the stretch and earned a hard-fought 16-14 triumph on a kill by Caroline Byrne (14 digs, 12 kills). Annabella Rando (28 digs) and Molly Harrison (17 kills) played well in the match for the visitors.
In the second match against the Mariners (7-5), sophomore
Maya Thompson recorded a career-best and match-leading 11 kills, while Campuzano and sophomore
Kate Lane contributed with nine each. Daetz and Carstens set the tempo with 16 and 15 assists, respectively, while Kaplan led the team defensively with eight digs. Sydney Williams led the way for Maine Maritime with 10 kills and seven digs.
Williams did not trail during the first two sets, winning the opening set, 25-14, on a kill by Lane. A kill by Thompson gave the unit a 25-14 second-set victory. The Ephs built a 12-6 advantage on an ace by Lane during the third set, but the Mariners responded and went in front, 16-14. The hosts closed out the set by scoring 11 of the next 17 points and earned a 25-22 victory to clinch the match.
"We are really proud of how well we did respond in our second match," said Kelsey. "For us to come out and refocus and play at our level says a lot about our team's ability to respond when faced with a little adversity. We got a lot of really great contributions today from our entire team, which was nice to see."
The Ephs will be back in action against Tufts Friday at 7 p.m. in Medford, Massachusetts.
