MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — The Bates volleyball team concluded its NESCAC weekend road trip Saturday afternoon with a 3-0 setback to nationally ranked No. 12 Wesleyan University (25-21, 25-14, 25-18) at Silloway Gymnasium.
The Bobcats (10-6, 2-6 NESCAC) suffered their fourth consecutive conference defeat, while the Cardinals improved to 14-2 overall and 7-2 in NESCAC play.
Elle Faris led Bates with seven kills and seven digs, while Malina Young added six kills and six digs. Alice Fischer contributed five kills on seven attempts without an error, hitting .571, while distributing a team-high 16 assists, collecting 11 digs and serving two aces.
Kate Norry chipped in five kills and four block assists, while Anaïs Reneaum recorded six block assists. Sofia Castiglioni added three kills and two block assists.
Bates remained competitive in the opening set, which featured five ties and two lead changes, before Wesleyan secured a 25-21 victory. The Cardinals carried that momentum into the second, holding the Bobcats to a .059 hitting percentage in a 25-14 decision.
The third set featured six ties and one lead change, but Wesleyan ultimately pulled away for a 25-18 victory to complete the sweep.
Wesleyan held a 41-31 advantage in kills and hit .239 as a team compared to .098 for Bates. The Cardinals also controlled play at the net, recording 13 team blocks against eight for the Bobcats.
India Clark paced Wesleyan with a match-high 13 kills, hitting .458 with just two errors on 24 attempts. Mila Chan contributed eight kills and 11 digs, while Siena Steines added seven kills.
Bates now turns its attention to a pair of non-conference contests, beginning Friday at 6 p.m. when the Bobcats host Emmanuel College at Underhill Arena.
