MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – The Connecticut College women's volleyball team dropped its NESCAC opener, 3-0, at Middlebury College on Friday night at Pepin Gymnasium.

The Panthers (4-4 overall, 1-0 NESCAC) hit .134 for the match and won by set scores of 25-13, 25-17 and 25-18 in their home opener. Molly Harrison was the center of the offense all night long, finishing with match highs of 15 kills and 41 attempts. 

Leading the way for the Camels was Rae Wartelle (Tacoma, Wash.) with eight kills on 15 swings. Mila Chan (San Francisco, Calif.) and Katherine Randall (Chicago, Ill.) each supplied four kills and combined for 18 digs.

Middlebury never trailed in the opening set and jumped out to a 12-3 start. The Panthers were strong at the net, outscoring the Camels 16-10 in kills and blocks. 

The second set featured seven ties and three led changes as Conn tried to fight its way back into the match. The Camels led 14-13 before Middlebury closed things out behind a 12-3 stretch that included three kills by Harrison. 

Harrison capped her night with six kills in the final set to close out the match. The Camels hung close until six straight points gave the Panthers a 19-12 advantage as they zeroed in on match point.

Josie Kelly (Solana Beach, Calif.) contributed 17 assists and six digs while Taylor Merrifield (Honolulu, Hawaii) keyed Conn's defense with 17 digs. 

Conn (7-2 overall, 0-1 NESCAC) will next play at Williams College on Saturday, September 21 at 2:00 p.m.