Waterville, Maine - The Colby College Volleyball team extended their winning streak to five this Friday on Mayflower Hill with an impressive triumph over the #2 NESCAC ranked Panthers in three sets (25-22, 25-20, 25-18). This victory improves the Mules' NESCAC record to 5-2, with an overall record of 12-5.
The Mules set the tone by quickly securing two consecutive kills in the opening points. Although the early exchanges were characterized by a back-and-forth, Colby initiated a decisive sprint towards the victory at 14-13, taking advantage of a service error by Middlebury and a Sydney Bopp service ace, extending their lead to 18-13. While the Panthers made some attempts to level the score, the Mules held their ground and ultimately secured the first set with a 25-22 victory. In the second set, Colby embarked on an impressive six-point surge, creating a challenging eight-point deficit for the Panthers at 15-8 forcing the Panthers to call a timeout. This surge was initiated by a kill from Brady Moseley, followed by a powerful ace served by Gabby Grujic, and further fueled by a sequence of three consecutive kills by Emma Davis. Despite Middlebury's attempts to close the gap to 17-12, the Mules responded seamlessly, securing three consecutive points to reach a 24-15 advantage. Middlebury aimed for a late comeback, tallying five consecutive points to close within four at 24-20, but a pivotal swing from Sarah Friedrichs ultimately sealed the deal, securing the second set for Colby. The final set began with both teams tied at 4-4 but the Mules quickly detached and orchestrated a 7-3 run, resulting in an 11-7 advantage. With the score at 15-11, Colby embarked on another remarkable run, amassing seven consecutive points to reach a 21-11 advantage. While the Panthers managed a late six-point surge, it proved insufficient to destabilize the Mules, who grabbed the victory with a final ace delivered by Bopp.
Colby as a team delivered an impressive performance, securing 43 kills with a commendable efficiency percentage of 0.228. Davis led the offensive charge with an impressive 14 kills, supported by Friedrichs, who contributed 10 kills, and Moseley with seven. Bopp demonstrated her all-around prowess with three aces and three blocks, followed by LJ Grant with two blocks and five kills. The trio of Grujic, Allison Rodriguez, and Reanna Yadao assisted the team's offense, combining for a total of 40 assists.
The Mules will return to action tomorrow in another NESCAC matchup at 1:00 PM against Hamilton College.
