STANDISH, Maine – Bates College volleyball outlasted St. Joseph's College of Maine to win its season opener, 3-2 (26-28, 25-19, 25-18, 21-25, 16-14), in its first match at the SJC Autumn Invitational Tournament at Alfond Arena on Friday night.

First-year Chandler McGrath (Seal Beach, Calif.) led the Bobcats (1-0) with 12 kills in her collegiate debut while sophomore Brynn Wendel (Boxford, Mass.) and first-year Gabby O'Leary (Wynewood, Pa.)  landed nine kills apiece.

Sophomore Laryssa Schepel (Flemington, N.J.) recorded a career and match-high 35 digs while junior setters Miranda Shapiro (New York, N.Y.) and Tess Walther (Santa Monica, Calif.) contributed 20 and 17 assists respectively.

Felicia Wachowiak (Milton, N.H.) paced the Monks (2-1) with 13 kills, and Mariah Hebert (Biddeford, Maine) notched a match-high 29 assists.

After falling in set one, the Bobcats won sets two and three before falling in set four to setup the decisive frame. Bates found itself in an early hole in the final set but dug its way out and scored the set's final seven points to win the match.

The Bobcats dropped a back-and-forth, overtime first set, 28-26, to the Monks. O'Leary and Wendel each landed three kills in the set while Schepel recorded 12 digs. In set two, Bates rallied from an early deficit to earn a 25-19 set victory. First-year Hannah Tardie (Orange, Calif.) helped close the set out with three aces in the last four points. McGrath scored on four kills in the set, Walther dished out six assists, and Schepel had seven digs.

Bates pulled away from St. Joe's late in set three to take a 25-18 win. Wendel notched four kills in the set while McGrath and O'Leary each had three kills. Shapiro handed out 10 assists, and first-year Maggie Paulich (Mercer Island, Wash.) deposited three aces in the frame's waning moments.

St. Joseph's countered with a 25-21 win in set four to force the decisive set. McGrath made three kills in the set while Schepel picked up eight digs.

Bates will play Lyndon State later tonight before taking on Husson at 10 a.m. on Sunday in its third match of the SJC Invitational.