STANDISH, Maine – Bates College volleyball defeated Husson University, 3-0, to advance to the championship of the SJC Autumn Invitational Tournament before falling to hosts St. Joseph's, 3-1, at Alfond Arena on Saturday.

The Bobcats (3-1) swept the Eagles (3-5) in straight sets, 25-7, 25-17, 25-11, in the morning. Sophomore Mary Deneen (Windsor, Conn.) led Bates with a match-high 10 kills while hitting .444 while first-year Chandler McGrath (Seal Beach, Calif.) chipped in with eight kills of her own.

Also against the Eagles, both sophomore Laryssa Schepel (Flemington, N.J.) and first-year Gabby O'Leary (Wynewood, Pa.) each recorded double-digit dig totals – 17 and 10 respectively. Junior setters Tess Walther (Santa Monica, Calif.) and Miranda Shapiro (New York, N.Y.) paced one another notching 18 and 16 assists apiece.

Against St. Joseph's (5-1), the Bobcats took the first set 25-18 before dropping the next three frames – 28-26, 25-21, 25-18.

Schepel registered a match-high 33 digs to cross the 30-dig barrier for the second time in the invitational. Walther (17 assists) and Shapiro (12 assists) split setting duties again while Deneen landed a team-high eight kills in the match.

McGrath and Schepel each earned All-Tournament honors for their efforts over the weekend. Schepel led the tournament with 96 total digs and 6.40 digs per set while McGrath finished second in the tournament with 2.17 kills per set. As a team the Bobcats led the SJC Invitational in kills (9.80 per set), assists (9.40 per set), and service aces (4.40 per set).

Next, Bates plays at Husson on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before heading to the MIT Invitational on Sept. 13-14.