MIDDLETOWN, Conn.– The Bates College women's volleyball team gave nationally ranked No. 14 Wesleyan all it could handle on Saturday afternoon, pushing the Cardinals to five sets before ultimately falling 3–2 (24-26, 21-25, 25-20, 29-27, 8-15) at Silloway Gymnasium.

Senior Ami Evans delivered a standout performance with a match-high 21 kills and 14 digs, while Malina Young added 19 kills, 10 digs and two aces, hitting .295 on the afternoon. Setter Nora Gilmer dished out 23 assists with five kills on .385 hitting, and Lauren Croom contributed 21 assists and 11 digs to balance the attack.

Defensively, Ellie Asada anchored the defense with 23 digs, while Anaïs Reneaum added eight kills and three blocks.

The Bobcats battled back from a 2–0 deficit to win the third and fourth sets, staving off multiple match points in the fourth before forcing a decisive fifth frame. Wesleyan, led by Siena Steines' 19 kills and .444 hitting percentage, pulled away late in the final set to escape with the victory.

Despite the narrow loss, the Bobcats secured a spot in the upcoming NESCAC Tournament as the No. 8 seed. Bates (12–9, 3–7 NESCAC) will travel back to Middletown next Saturday to face top-seeded Wesleyan (19–2, 9–1 NESCAC) in a quarterfinal rematch at 3 p.m.