LEWISTON, Maine – Colby Volleyball travelled to Lewiston, Maine for a tri-match with Bates College and Springfield College. The successful starts to the season for Bates (9-4) and Springfield (12-4) set the stage for two challenging and competative matches for the Mules.

Taking on the Bobcats first, the Mules traded points with Bates until the Bobcats went on a seven point run midway through the first set. Colby found itself in a hole they could not climb out of and dropped the first game 25-14. The second game saw a similar points trajectory, and Colby actually held an early lead at 6-5, but another big Bates run soon saw the Mules down 17-9, and Colby dropped the second set 25-16. Bates mounted a strong attack early in the third game, taking the first four points. The Mules could not take back the momentum and dropped the third game 25-14, losing the match 3-0. Elizabeth Middlebrook led the team with seven kills, while Nicole Petherbridge led the hitters with a 0.100 kill percentage. Julia Hutchings anchored the defense with 12 digs.

Colby got off to a fast start against Springfield College in the team's second match of the day, jumping to a 4-1 lead in the first game off of kills by Morgan Selby, Samantha Schultz, and Middlebrook. The Pride came back quickly, however, and took a lead at 5-4 that they would not relinquish. Colby would keep game one as close as 12-10, but Springfield used consistency and a relentless attack to take the first set 25-15. The Pride brought their momentum into game two, although Colby did hang tough early on. At 5-4, however, Springfield went on a 9-3 run and earned a lead it kept for the remainder of the game, eventually winning 25-16. The Pride's offense stormed ahead in game three, taking a quick 16-2 lead. The Mules were resilient, clawing their way back to 20-8, but would not get closer, and Springfield took the final game 25-12 to close out the match. Schultz maintained a strong presence on offense, generating six kills and a .130 kill percentage. Selby continued her gritty play at setter, totaling 17 assists and eight digs, and Petherbridge played scrappy defense to lead the team with 11 digs.

Head Coach Candice Parent lauded the team's defensive effort and determination, "Both Bates and Springfield are top teams in New England and at times, we played very well. We are still making too many errors offensively to beat these teams, but I am extremely proud of how hard we played and the fact that we never gave up."

The Mules next take on Husson on the road on Wednesday, October 2^nd at 7:00 PM (EST).