NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College women's volleyball team came up on the short end of a 3-2 decision against Clark University on Saturday afternoon at Luce Field House.

Clark trailed 2-1 before bouncing back to take the final two sets, winning by set scores of 26-24, 13-25, 16-25, 25-21 and 17-15. Claudia Rivera (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) recorded a match-high 18 kills and hit .286 to lead the Cougars to victory. Victoria Pastor (Bayamon, Puerto Rico) chipped in 11 kills while Yvanna Torres (San Juan, Puerto Rico) handed out 21 assists. 

The Camels, who held a 63-46 advantage in total kills, spread the wealth on the offensive end. Emma Wheeler (Meredith, N.H.) led the charge with a team-high 12 kills and added five blocks. Christina Leduc (North Dennis, Mass.) and Annie Wibbelsman (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) also finished in double digits with 12 and 10 kills, respectively, while Riley Lord (Exeter, N.H.) and Katherine Randall (Chicago, Ill.) supplied nine apiece.

The opening set, which featured 13 ties and seven lead changes, went down to the wire. A kill by Lord gave the Camels a 24-23 edge, but the Cougars responded with three straight points to claim the set. Rivera and Sheyenne Williams (Bloomfield, N.J.) each contributed a kill during the spurt as Clark grabbed an early 1-0 lead.

Conn fell behind 3-0 in the second set but quickly rebounded. After a kill by Wibbelsman put the Camels in front for good at 8-7, Lord served for eight straight points to stretch the lead to nine. From there the hosts coasted to the finish to even the match at 1-1.

Wheeler staked the Camels to a 3-0 start in the third set with two kills and a block. Conn never trailed and gained more separation as the set went on, winning seven of the final 10 points to go up 2-1 in the match.

Much of the fourth set was played within a tight scoring window that saw neither team lead by more than two. That changed down the stretch when, with the score knotted at 19-19, Clark rallied for four straight points to seize control and force the climactic fifth set.

Another 3-0 start put the Camels on top early, but the Cougars fought back to win four of the next five points to even the score. The two sides traded blows for the remainder of the set, but a block by Camille Flurry (Athens, Ga.) and Cameron Gill (Shrewsbury, Mass.) set up match point for the visitors. 

Conn fought off a pair of match points behind a kill from Lord and an ace by Nicolette Marino (Verona, N.J.) to draw even once again at 14-14. After Clark won the ensuing rally, the Camels capped a long sequence with a kill from Leduc to hang in at 15-15. However, the Cougars finally ended the match thanks to a pair of kills from Pastor, bringing her total into the double digits.

Olivia Dow (San Anselmo, Calif.) and Natasha Shrivastava (San Diego, Calif.) fueled Conn's offense with 29 and 24 assists, respectively. Julia Dailey (Charlottesville, Va.) was one of four Camels with double-digit dig totals with 15.        

Conn College (7-12 overall) will next play at Mt. Holyoke College on Tuesday, October 25 at 7 p.m.