WATERVILLE, Maine – Colby hosted #25 Wesleyan to kick off the school's homecoming weekend on Mayflower Hill. The nationally ranked Cardinals ultimately proved too much for the Mules, but Colby flashed its potential in a close second game with the NESCAC juggernaut. 

Wesleyan's offense overpowered the Mules in game one. The Cardinals started the game with a 10-0 run and did not look back, totalling 14 kills with only one error to take a 25-7 set win. 

As they have all season, Colby bounced back, playing a tight, gritty second set against Wesleyan. Colby jumped to an early 6-1 lead on solid net play by Natalie Bumpus (pictured) and Nicole Petherbridge, as well as three service aces by Elizabeth Middlebrook. After Wesleyan took the next three points, the Mules went on another run, winning nine of 11 points to take a 15-6 lead. Samantha Schultz held the hot hand during the scoring spree, burying four kills on assists from setter Morgan Selby. The Cardinals proved hard to put away, however. Even as Colby continued to score, Wesleyan slowly clawed their way back and tied the game at 19-19. From there, the Cardinals controlled the set, winning six of the next nine points to take a 25-22 win.

Colby struggled to maintain their level of play in the third set, managing only three kills but totaling five errors on 22 attempts. Wesleyan, meanwhile, played almost flawlessly, earning 13 kills with no errors on 20 attempts for an efficient 25-4 win.

The 3-0 loss does not tell the whole story for the Mules. For a set, the team played evenly with a nationally ranked squad that is second in the conference. In addition, the Mules' three first-years, Selby, Bumpus, and Schultz, stepped up their play to match the competition. Schultz led the team with nine kills, while Bumpus was remarkably efficient at net, yielding a .444 kill percentage with five kills. Selby served as a catalyst on offense and defense, generating 19 assists and leading the team with 11 digs. As this young team gets more time together, look for the Mules' developing chemistry to push them to play consistently at the level they showed they could reach tonight.

Colby is home for two more games tomorrow. The Mules take on Connecticut College at 2:00 PM (EST) and Maine Maritime at 5:00 PM (EST).

(Photo courtesy of Ashley Conti)