MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — The Bates volleyball team erased a two-set deficit and pushed Middlebury to the absolute limit Friday night before the Panthers escaped with a 3-2 (25-22, 25-19, 23-25, 21-25, 20-18) NESCAC victory at Pepin Gymnasium.
Bates (9-2, 1-2 NESCAC) battled through a match featuring 44 ties and 18 lead changes, with neither team separating itself statistically. The Bobcats finished with 64 kills and a .207 hitting percentage, while Middlebury (13-2, 3-1 NESCAC) recorded 66 kills and hit .204.
After dropping the opening two sets, Bates began its comeback in the third. Middlebury raced out to an 8-1 advantage, but the Bobcats steadily worked their way back. Consecutive blocks involving Sofia Castiglioni helped Bates pull within 11-9, while Castiglioni and Kate Norry later combined for a block to even the score at 12.
Middlebury appeared to regain control with a 22-16 lead, but Bates answered with a remarkable 7-0 run behind the serve of
Elle Faris.
Nora Gilmer,
Anaïs Reneaum and
Malina Young contributed kills during the surge, Faris added an ace and Young's kill put Bates ahead 23-22. After Middlebury tied it, Gilmer delivered the final two kills to complete the comeback and give Bates the third set, 25-23.
The Bobcats carried the momentum into the fourth. With the score tied at 19, Bates reeled off three straight points, getting kills from Gilmer and Reneaum, and a combined block from the aforementioned duo, to take a 22-19 advantage. After Middlebury pulled within a point at 22-21, Gilmer put Bates ahead by two with a kill. Young followed with a kill for set point and a Middlebury attack error finished the 25-21 win, forcing a decisive fifth set.
The fifth turned into a marathon.
Bates grabbed an early 5-3 advantage before the Panthers eventually moved ahead 8-6. The foes would tie at 8-8 and again at 9-9, beginning a back-and-forth finish in which neither side could shake the other.
The teams were still deadlocked at 15-15 before Middlebury went in front 16-15. Reneaum and Gilmer struck again with another shared to give the Bobcats a 17-16 edge. The Panthers responded once more, and Young's kill later evened the set at 18-18. Middlebury finally closed out the two-point victory, 20-18.
Castiglioni and Young paced a balanced Bates attack with 15 kills apiece. Castiglioni was especially efficient, hitting .448 with only two errors on 29 attempts while adding four total blocks. Reneaum and Gilmer each finished with nine kills, with Reneaum hitting .368 and contributing five total blocks. Gilmer also handed out 18 assists and served two aces.
Alice Fischer dished out a team-high 20 assists and added 18 digs, while Logan Yogi anchored the back row with a match-high 22 digs. Young added 10 digs for a double-double. Bates totaled 75 digs and six service aces.
Middlebury's Molly Harrison led all players with 21 kills, while Natalie Stanford added 18 on a .405 hitting percentage.
The Bobcats return to NESCAC action Saturday, traveling to Hamilton College for a 2 p.m. match.
