Chandler McGrath tied for the match high with 16 kills in Bates' 3-1 loss to Middlebury on Oct. 17, 2015. (File photo by Josh Kuckens/Bates College) 

LEWISTON, Maine -- Becca Raffel had 16 kills as Middlebury College won for the 13th time in 14 outings, defeating the Bates College volleyball team 3-1 (25-19,15-25,25-14,25-16) in NESCAC action Saturday afternoon in Alumni Gym.

The Panthers (15-3, 6-2 NESCAC) had little trouble in winning three sets, coming up short only in the second frame, when they attacked at a -.065 percentage while Bates countered with a .312 success rate. Middlebury got back on the right foot in the third set, attacking at a .233 rate to Bates' -.080, and the Panthers picked it up a notch in the fourth set, with 13 kills against only three attack errors (.357).

Bates (7-11, 3-6 NESCAC) received a big match from junior Chandler McGrath (Seal Beach, Calif.), who tied for the match high with 16 kills against five attack errors (.324), to go with three blocks.

Middlebury setter Hannah Blackburn was the player of the match, tallying 44 of Middlebury's 45 assists and adding in three aces and 11 digs. Melanie English had 10 kills and four blocks and Eliana Schaefer contributed seven kills, while Emily Kolodka had a team-high 18 digs.

Junior Nicole Peraica (East Northport, N.Y.) had seven kills for Bates, sophomore Augy Silver (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) had a match-high 24 digs and first-year Reilly Murphy (Marshfield, Mass.) had a match-high six blocks (two solo). Sophomore Jacqueline Forney (Bloomington, Ind.) led the bobcats with 16 assists, while junior Hannah Tardie (Orange, Calif.) dished out 11.

Bates plays a non-conference match at St. Joseph's on Thursday at 7pm; Middlebury plays at MIT on Friday at 7pm.