LEWISTON, Maine -- Junior outside hitter Tess Dokus (Salem, Conn.) had a season-best 19 kills to lead the Bates College volleyball team to a 3-2 (21-25, 25-22, 18-25, 25-21, 15-8) defeat of Rivier College Friday in both team's opening match of the Mid Coast Volleyball Invitational, co-hosted by Bates and Bowdoin.

The Bobcats (7-9) capped the evening with a 3-0 (27-25, 25-23, 25-13) loss to Gordon College (11-5). The eight-team tournament concludes Saturday at Bowdoin College.

Dokus collected the most kills by a Bates player since she herself had 20 on Oct. 20, 2007 at Wiley College in Texas.

Other leaders for Bates in the win over Rivier (9-7) included junior Liz Leberman (Concord, N.H.) with 10 kills and 13 digs; senior Beth Billington (St. Paul, Minn.) with 8 kills and 6 blocks; first-year Chrissy Gee (San Francisco, Calif.) with 7 kills and 5  blocks; and first-year Grace Haessler (Portland, Ore.) with 43 assists and 5 digs.

Junior Avery Masters (Mill Valley, Calif.) had a team-high 9 kills in the loss to Gordon to go with 3 blocks, while Billington added 8 kills and 3 blocks. Haessler dished out 27 assists and Gee had a team-high 12 digs to go with 3 blocks. Dokus and Leberman had 7 kills apiece.

Bates resumes play at the tournament tomorrow at Bowdoin, with matches against Keene State at 12 p.m. and Emmanuel at 2 p.m.

Mid Coast Volleyball Invitational Scores

Co-hosted by Bates and Bowdoin

Friday Matches played at Bates College


Bates 3, Rivier 2 (21-25, 25-22, 18-25, 25-21, 15-8)

Bowdoin 3, Emmanuel 0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-11)

Gordon 3, Colby 1 (25-22, 20-25, 25-17, 25-19)

University of New England 3, Emmanuel 1 (22-25, 25-17, 25-16, 25-22)

Keene State 3, Bowdoin 2 (21-25, 19-25, 29-27, 25-21, 15-12)

Colby 3, Rivier 2 (22-25, 19-25, 25-22, 25-17, 15-8)

Gordon 3, Bates 0 (27-25, 25-23, 25-13)

Keene State 3, UNE 1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-22, 25-17)

STATS: Bates 3, Rivier 2

STATS: Gordon 3, Bates 0