NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College women's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to Middlebury College on Friday night in NESCAC action at Luce Field House.

The Panthers improved to 9-4 overall (4-1 NESCAC) behind set scores of 27-25, 25-18 and 25-21. Molly Harrison posted a match-high 14 kills on 32 swings to pace the visitors, who hit .206 as a team and recorded eight blocks on the night. 

Zoe Watts (Chicago, Ill.) led the Camels with eight kills and added four block assists. Emma Wheeler (Meredith, N.H.) finished with six kills, two block assists and an ace while Riley Lord (Exeter, N.H.) and Katherine Randall (Chicago, Ill.) chipped in five kills apiece.

In an opening set that featured 10 ties and five lead changes, Conn used a 6-2 run to build a slight cushion at 12-8. Later on, a kill by Lord gave the Camels their biggest lead at 20-15, but the Panthers clawed their way back into the game with six unanswered points on the serve of Campbell Keller. The two sides then traded points down the stretch, until a kill by Lauren Baxter and a Conn attack error gave Middlebury the set.

The second set was also tight, but another strong finish by the Panthers was the difference. Middlebury won 10 of the final 13 points to secure the set, with Harrison adding the finishing touches with back-to-back aces to secure the 2-0 lead.

Harrison had six kills in the final set as the Panthers built a 22-10 lead. The Camels never gave up, rallying back with seven straight points—including three consecutive aces—on the serve of Taylor Merrifield (Honolulu, Hawaii). Conn whittled the deficit down to three before Middlebury recovered to record the final point on a kill by Gabby Pribisich. 

Conn College (8-6 overall, 2-4 NESCAC) will next host Hamilton College on Saturday, October 7 at 2:00 p.m.