BRUNSWICK, Maine -- The Bates volleyball team capped a 0-3 weekend with a pair of losses Saturday at Bowdoin College. The Bobcats started off with a 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-15) NESCAC loss to host Bowdoin, then fell 3-2 (25-16, 22-25, 25-18, 22-25, 20-18) in a back-and-forth non-conference battle with Emerson.

The host Polar Bears (11-5, 5-4 NESCAC) had little trouble sweeping Bates 3-0 for the second time this season, this time in the rivals' conference match, outperforming the Bobcats in team attack percentage .304 to .048. 

Senior Chandler McGrath's (Seal Beach, Calif.) total of five kills was the lowest to lead the Bobcats this season. First-year Taylor Stafford-Smith (Calabasas, Calif.) pitched in four kills while sophomores Claire Naughton (Darien, Conn.) and Reilly Murphy (Marshfield, Mass.) posted three blocks apiece. First-year Gabi Eustache (New York, N.Y.) led Bates with 15 digs while junior Jacqueline Forney (Bloomington, Ind.) contributed 15 assits and nine digs.

In the Emerson match, Bates twice fell behind before winning the following set 25-22 to tie the match up. The deciding fifth set went the Lions' way, but not before the Bobcats had the set tied at 15-15, 16-16, 17-17 and 18-18. The Lions were credited with a whopping 35 service aces in the match, including the final point. Emerson's .414 attack percentage bettered Bates' mark of .256. 

McGrath led Bates in kills for the eighth straight match with 11 against only one attack error on 21 attempts (.476). Junior Lisa Slivken (New York, N.Y.) contributed eight kills on a team-high 24 attempts (.167) and Stafford-Smith added six kills and three solo blocks. Eustache was credited with a career-high nine aces, while Forney led the Bobcats in assists (22) and digs (eight).

Jules Augustine led Emerson (15-7) with 14 kills on 17 attempts (.706) and Amanda Linzmeyer added 10. Sam Harton was credited with team highs of eight aces and nine digs while Moira Brennan passed out 33 assists.

Bates (6-12, 3-5 NESCAC) will host Maine Maritime Academy Tuesday at 7pm.