NEW LONDON, N.H. – October 14, 2014 – The Colby-Sawyer College women's volleyball team earned a 3-1 victory over Middlebury on Tuesday evening at the Hogan Sports Center. The Chargers, who beat the Panthers for the first time since October 10, 2008, won by scores of 26-24, 25-23, 20-25, and 25-19.

Colby-Sawyer improves to 17-8 and resumes conference action this weekend with a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) tri-match at Green Mountain with Castleton on Saturday afternoon. Middlebury drops to 7-8 and will resume New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) play on Friday evening with an 8:00 p.m. match at Trinity (Conn.).  

Senior Jackie Keating (Marshfield, Mass.) led the Chargers with 13 kills and 12 digs. Sophomore Leah Drolet (Riverside, R.I.) hit .294 and had nine kills with seven total blocks. Freshman Lexi Strong (Somersworth, N.H.) collected a match best 25 digs, while junior setter Laura Smolinski (Hebron, Conn.) had 42 assists and 12 digs. Junior Kelsey Sullivan (Laconia, N.H.) added seven kills on .308 hitting.

Middlebury was led by a 13-kill performance from freshman Alice Roberts (Media, Pa.). She hit a match best .333 and added a pair of block assists. Freshman Emily Kolodka (Verona, N.J.) registered a team best 20 digs, while senior libero Lizzy Reed (Cazenovia, N.Y.) added 18 digs.

The Chargers led for most of the first set and held a lead of six on multiple occasions. Colby-Sawyer was in front 22-17 when Middlebury was forced to call a timeout. The Panthers rattled off the next six points to take a 23-22 lead. After the teams traded the next couple of points, the Chargers received a kill from senior Stephanie Vecchio (Shelter Island, N.Y.) and an attack error from the visitors to take the first set 26-24.

The second set featured 18 ties and seven lead changes with neither team holding an advantage more than two points. With the scored tied 23-23, Drolet recorded one of her four kills in the set to force a Middlebury timeout. Jackie Keating ended the set on the next point with a kill of her own to give Colby-Sawyer the 25-23 victory.

Middlebury rebounded by taking the third set from the opening serve. The Panthers held their largest lead of the match at 11-5 on a Colby-Sawyer attack error. Middlebury closed the set 25-20 on a kill by senior Piper Underbrink (Ocala, Fla.).

Colby-Sawyer closed the match with a 25-19 victory in the fourth set. The teams traded the first four points of the set before Colby-Sawyer took a 3-2 lead on a kill from Vecchio. The Chargers would lead for the remainder of the frame and end the match on a kill by sophomore Gabrielle Rodriguez (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.).