Senior Chandler McGrath tallied a season-high 20 kills in Bates' 3-2 loss to Williams on Friday, September 30, 2016. (File photo by Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College) 

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- Senior captain Chandler McGrath recorded a season-high 20 kills but the Williams College Ephs rallied from down two sets to one to defeat the Bates volleyball team 3-2 (16-25, 26-24, 26-24, 18-25, 8-15) Friday night. 

McGrath's (Seal Beach, Calif.) 20 kills is the most kills she's recorded in one match since she tallied 21 against Trinity in a 3-2 Bates victory on September 19, 2015. 

McGrath gave Bates (4-8, 1-2 NESCAC) the first point of the match when she tallied a kill off an assist from junior captain Jacqueline Forney (Bloomington, Ind.) but the Ephs (5-7, 2-2 NESCAC) went on a quick 3-0 run and did not trail again in the set. Forney finished the match with a team-high 39 assists. 

The Bobcats tied the first set at five thanks to a Williams service error but the Ephs scored the next two points to take the lead for good. 

The teams did mostly trade points for awhile with Bates pulling to within two at 16-14 on another McGrath kill. But the Ephs went on a 9-2 run to secure the 25-16 victory. 

In the second set, Bates found themselves down 14-9 before pulling off a big rally to win 26-24. It all started on back-to-back McGrath kills to cut the deficit to 14-11. The teams traded points for awhile and the Ephs held a 20-18 lead before Forney and sophomore Claire Naughton (Darien, Conn.) teamed up to tally back-to-back blocks, tying the set at 20.

Williams grabbed a 22-20 lead before Bates went on a 3-0 run, capped off by a kill from sophomore Reilly Murphy (Marshfield, Mass.) to give Bates a 23-22 edge.

With the score tied at 24, McGrath recorded a kill and an Ephs attack error on the next rally gave Bates the set by a count of 26-24.

The Bobcats grabbed a two-set to one lead with another 26-24 win in the third set.

Williams grabbed an early 7-4 lead before Bates went on a 4-0 run to take an 8-7 edge, highlighted by a kill from senior Nicole Peraica (East Northport, N.Y.), a service ace from first-year Gabi Eustache (New York, N.Y.) and a kill by first-year Taylor Stafford-Smith (Calabasas, Calif.) on a Forney assist.

The set stayed very close and the Ephs took a 19-18 lead late but Bates rallied to take the lead and they secured the set on kills from sophomore Lauren Brough (Killingworth, Conn.) and Naughton.

Up 2-1, Bates grabbed a 13-12 lead in the fourth set on a Williams service error.

But the Ephs scored the next three points to take the lead for good. 

Williams finished the fourth set on a 9-3 run to take it 25-18.

They picked up right where they left off in the fifth set, jumping out to a 12-2 lead.

Bates rallied behind a kill and an ace from junior Augy Silver (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) but it was too little too late as they fell in the deciding set 15-8.

Tori Jasuta and Ally Ostrow paced Williams with 18 kills each. Alex Newton dished out a match-high 51 assists. Jasuta also notched a match-high 25 digs.

Eustache added 23 digs for Bates and Forney chipped in 22 of her own. Newton recorded five service aces for Williams.

The Bobcats look to bounce back Saturday when they visit Amherst at 2:00 p.m.