Ephs cruise on Day 1 of NESCACs
AMHERST, MA- The Williams College women’s volleyball
team (25-7) defeated Middlebury (15-14) for the second time in nine
days and advanced to the semi-finals of the NESCAC Championship
tournament. The Ephs did not drop a game en route to the 3-0
(30-24, 30-21, 30-21) victory held at top-seeded Amherst
College.
“Our defensive intensity improved as the match went on,
which was key,” said head coach Fran Vandermeer.
“This was a good first round match for us and we look forward
to the semi-finals.”
The match was tight in the first game, with both teams jumping out
to leads, but the Ephs were able to gain control of the match late
in that first game. The momentum carried over and resulted in
decisive victories in games two and three.
On offense, the Ephs were led by sophomore Melissa Pun and first
year Emily Avis. Pun posted an all-around productive match
with 15 kills and 22 digs, while Avis set up the offense with 44
assists and added 15 digs. Sophomore Whitney Hitchcock (4
kills, 3 service aces), and first years Eleanor Levine (9 kills, 7
digs) and Nicole Ballon-Landa (8 kills) also posted good offensive
numbers.
The defense was led by sophomore Chelsea Kubal, who tallied 18
digs, and junior captain Riki McDermott, who had 11 digs of her
own. First year Kate Anderson also contributed off the bench,
posting 4 kills in 8 attempts.
The Ephs now find themselves one win away from a spot in
Sunday’s championship match. On Saturday, Williams will
take on the winner of the Tufts-Trinity first round match at 3 PM.
