NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College volleyball team took Bowdoin College down to the wire before falling 3-2 in its home and NESCAC opener on Friday night at Luce Field House.
The Polar Bears, who received votes in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll, rallied back from a 2-1 deficit to win by scores of 18-25, 25-22, 20-25, 25-18 and 15-13. Alison Smith led the way with a match-high 23 kills on 41 swings as Bowdoin improved to 5-3 overall (1-0 NESCAC).
Three Camels finished with double-digit kill totals on the night, led by 15 from
Rae Wartelle (Tacoma, Wash.).
Keira Deeney (Norwell, Mass.) and
Vibha Sheth (Austin, Texas) added 12 and 10 kills, respectively, while
Tilde Keatley (Pasadena, Calif.) chipped in nine.
Aubrie Letourneau (Mattapoisett, Mass.) fueled the offense with 28 assists while
Taylor Merrifield (Honolulu, Hawaii) recorded a team-best 27 digs.
Tied at 16-16 in the opening set, the Camels took the lead for good on back-to-back kills by
Lola Railsback (Dallas, Texas). Conn then closed out the frame with six straight points that included two aces from
Dylan Kokkinos (Aurora, Ill.) and a pair of kills from Keatley.
After the Polar Bears bounced back to take the second set, the Camels once again locked in late in the third to go up 2-1. Wartelle snapped an 18-18 stalemate with a kill that sparked a 7-2 run to close out the stanza.
Bowdoin raced out to a 10-4 lead in the fourth and never trailed, as Smith supplied six kills to help even up the match. In the deciding fifth set, the score was tight until a 6-1 spurt gave the Polar Bears a 13-8 advantage. The Camels battled back with four straight points to cut the margin to one, but a big block by Gillian Coolidge brought the visitors to match point. Smith then sealed the victory with her final kill of the night.
Conn (2-5 overall, 0-1 NESCAC) will next host Colby College on Saturday, September 19 at 2:00 p.m.
