Chandler McGrath '17 totaled 15 kills at a .414 attack percentage.

LEWISTON, Maine – Bates College volleyball won the first two sets then staved off a comeback from Wesleyan University in a five-set, 3-2 (25-18, 25-14, 20-25, 15-25, 15-11) win on Saturday afternoon inside Alumni Gymnasium.

The Bobcats (10-14, 2-6 NESCAC) took sets one and two with room to spare before the Cardinals (6-12, 2-6) rallied to gain each of the next two sets. The hosts reversed the momentum in the fifth set to hang on for the victory.

First-year Chandler McGrath (Seal Beach, Calif.) tied for the match-high with 15 kills on .414 hitting while classmate Gabby O'Leary (Wynnewood, Pa.) followed with 11 kills on .364 hitting.

Sophomore libero Laryssa Schepel (Flemington, N.J.) and first-year Aubyn Link (Houston Texas) set the match high with 16 digs apiece to which Link added seven kills. Junior setter and co-captain Tess Walther (Santa Monica, Calif.) posted 27 assists to go with nine digs.

For the Cardinals, Kim Farris landed 15 kills while Monica Leslie and Kate Centofanti made nine and eight kills respectively with Centofanti contributing 10 digs as well. Claire Larson dished out a match-best 33 assists in addition to 14 digs.

In set one, the hosts staked themselves to an 18-11 lead and did not allow the visitors to pull any closer than five points for the duration. Holding a 17-13 advantage in set two, the Bobcats closed the set with an 8-1 run which included two kills from O'Leary. McGrath recorded six kills and no errors on nine swings in the second set.

The Cardinals captured a lead as large as 16-10 in the third set and won five of the last seven points after the Bobcats cut the lead to two at 20-18. Farris paced Wesleyan in the set with seven kills on .308 hitting. Wesleyan built off its success in set four jumping out to a 12-3 edge and maintaining at least an eight-point cushion for the remainder of the set.

In the decisive set, Bates gained an 8-6 lead at the switch and still held a 12-10 edge late in the set before garnering three of the last four points including kills from Link and McGrath to ice the match.

Next, Bates plays Eastern Connecticut St. (1:30 p.m.) and Plymouth St. (3:00 p.m.) on Saturday with both matches in Plymouth, N.H. while Wesleyan hosts Rhode Island College on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.