NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Colby Volleyball took to the road for three games at Smith College. The team's first game was Friday night against Clark University. The Mules entered play having most recently lost to Hamilton in a close match, but the team has continued to diversify their attack this season and had recently contained opposing teams serves with more efficiency. The Cougars came into the game having most recently lost to MIT.

Colby jumped to a quick 8-3 lead in game one on a combination of kills from Nicole Petherbridge (pictured) and attack errors by the Cougar offense. The Mules continued their pressure on both sides of the net, maintaining and stretching their lead as the set continued. Colby led by as much as seven in the first game and eventually won 25-19 when Simone Sears buried a kill from Morgan Selby to secure the opening set.

The Mules efficiency at net dropped in the second game. Colby generated only six kills and had 12 errors on 32 attempts. It was not without a good effort to jumpstart the offense by first year pair Selby and Natalie Bumpus. Selby set up Bumpus for kills on three of the Mules first five points, but Colby could not maintain consistency, and dropped the second set 25-11.

Colby stormed back in the third game, cleaning up their attack with a .231 team kill percentage. The team played strong defense too, forcing a -.100 kill percentage for Clark. After scoring the first four points of the game, the Mules kept the pressure on. At 9-5, Colby went on a nine point run that all but sealed the set. The run included four aces by Elizabeth Middlebrook, and after several kills by Petherbridge and Samantha Schultz the Mules took the third game 25-11.

After two one-sided sets in a row, the teams played more evenly in the fourth. Although Clark started with a 4-1 run, the game was tied at 10 points apiece midway through completion. From there, the Cougars slowly inched ahead, building a lead as big as five points before winning 25-22. Despite dropping the game, the Mules continued their efficient offense, managing a .310 kill percentage  with a match-high 15 kills. 

Colby built a 3-1 lead in the fifth set but could not put away the Cougars. Clark went on an eight point run and then traded points with the Mules to get to 13-6 before Colby could gain control. The Mules nearly came back with Selby serving, getting as close as 13-11, but Clark secured the last two points to win the final set and the overall match.

Colby saw some notable performances despite the loss. Petherbridge led the team with 13 kills and had a .222 kill percentage while collecting one of the Mules' 3 blocks on defense. Selby added three kills of her own and collected 32 assists, while Middlebrook led the team with 16 digs.

Colby is back on the court for a double-header tomorrow. The team faces Bard College at 1:00 PM (EST) and then Smith College at 3:00 PM (EST).

(Photo courtesy of Calvin Wetmore '20)