Panthers volleyball ends season

MEDFORD, Mass. — The Middlebury College women’s volleyball team saw its season come to and end with a 3-2 (25-19, 21-25, 17-25, 25-21, 15-13) loss to Amherst in the NESCAC playoff quarterfinals at Tufts on Nov. 6. The Panthers finished the season with a 20-6 record.
Amherst controlled the first set, taking a lead that grew to 20-10. Middlebury fought back to 21-16, but Amherst finished off a 25-19 victory.
Middlebury controlled the second set. The Panthers’ largest lead stood at six at 24-18, and they took the set 25-21. Middlebury then took the lead at 5-4 in the third set and never looked back on the way to a 25-17 win and a 2-1 advantage.
It looked as if the Panthers would win the fourth set as they led most of the way. Amherst took its first lead at 14-13, but Middlebury regained the lead at 15-14. The two teams were tied nine times from 13-13 to 21-21, but Amherst scored the final four points of the set to force a fifth set.
The Panthers assumed the lead to begin the fifth set and were in control late at 13-11, but the Lord Jeffs tallied the final four points to win, 15-13.
On the Middlebury side, sophomore Jane Handel had a match-high 23 kills, while sophomore Caroline Cordle backed her up with 15. Both had two of the Panthers’ nine aces. They were also the leaders of Middlebury’s defense, with 27 digs from Cordle and four blocks by Handel. Senior tri-captain Natalie DuPre had 18 digs for the Panthers.

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