NEW LONDON, N.H. – The Colby-Sawyer College women's volleyball team picked up two big wins Friday night defeating Thomas College (26-24, 25-17, 25-13) and (25-23, 25-18, 19-25, 23-25, 15-13)

Rapid Recap (Match 1):

• The Terriers came out ready to fight in New London taking an early 9-1 lead over the home team. Back-to-back kills by sophomore Brenna Piller (Simsbury, Conn.) got the home team on the board and slowly chipped away at Thomas' lead trailing 15-10. Colby-Sawyer managed to push the set into extra points and won the set 26-24 after key kills by Piller and first-year Kamryn Breakemeier (Fort Worth, Texas), and a crucial block to seal the victory.
• In the second set, Thomas College took control early, opening with a 3-0 lead with back-to-back kills to put the visiting team ahead. The Chargers responded with a kill by first-year Leah Barlow (Bourne, Mass.), but Thomas kept the momentum, leading 6-2 after a service ace and setting error. Colby-Sawyer began to fight back after trailing 8-2, narrowing the gap with kills by Brakemeier and senior Ally Majenski (Marshfield, Mass.), bringing the score to 9-5. The Charger's persistence paid off with Brakemeier and Majenski's excellent net play to take a 19-13 lead late in the set. Piller secured the 25-17 win in the second set with back-to-back kills giving the home team a 2-0 advantage heading into the third set.
• Colby-Sawyer responded quickly in the third set with a kill by Piller and strong services from senior Audra Fontes (Fresno, Calif.), pulling ahead 8-4. The Charges continued to dominate with a balanced attack, extending their lead to 14-5 after kills from senior Katie Mollberg (Naples, Fla.) and Piller. Sophomore Haley Hathorn (Hillsboro, N.H.) and Brakemeier played key roles in closing  the set, securing a win for the first of two matches with the Terriers.

Rapid Recap (Match 2):

• Both teams fought for momentum early on in the first set of the second match of the day. First-year Madison Sinatro (Simsbury, Conn.) came in for Colby-sawyer and made an immediate impact with a service ace and a kill by Piller, putting the home team ahead 4-3. The visiting Terriers would continue to fight back pulling ahead 15-10 late in the first set. The Chargers continued to fight back with kills by Piller and first-year Judy Mancilla (Purcellville, Va.) to put the home team ahead 20-17. Back-to-back service aces by Piller secured the 25-23 set victory for the Chargers.
• The Chargers opened the second set with strong momentum with service aces by Fontes, extending their lead to 5-1. Sophomore Bree Bacon (Brookline, Mass.) and Piller kept the pressure on with key kills, helping the Chargers widen the gap to 11-3. Thomas continued to fight back chipping away at the home team's lead, but Colby-Sawyer maintained their composure. The Chargers concluded the second set with a 25-18 victory with a service ace from Brakemeier and kills by Majenski.
• The Chargers opened the third set strong with a kill by senior Brooke Patnode (Weare, N.H.) giving the home team a lead. Back-to-back service aces and kills by the Terriers narrowed the scoring favoring the visiting team. The momentum shifted when Brakemeier and Mancilla added crucial kills, but the visiting team capitalized on errors by the Chargers extending their lead to 23-1-5. Thomas College was able to close out the set 25-19 forcing a fourth set in the second match.
• The Terriers carried the momentum from the third set, capitalizing on key errors by the Chargers to pull ahead early in the fourth set. Colby-Sawyer rallied with strong plays by Brakemeier and Majenski to put the home team on the board and cut the Terriers' lead. Thomas College continued to capitalize on mistakes to extend their lead 24-22. The Chargers continued to fight and leveled the score with a late surge, but a final error sealed the set for Thomas at 25-23, forcing a fifth set.
• The visiting team took an early lead in the fifth set, capitalizing on mistakes by the home team, but a service ace by Sinatro gave the Chargers a burst of energy to keep fighting early in the fifth set. Both teams exchanged points back and forth but with a service ace by Bacon and a kill by Piller, the Chargers were able to cut the Terrier's lead and tie the match up at 13-13. Back-to-back errors by the Terriers proved costly late in the fifth set, giving the home team a 15-13 victory and winning the match 3-2.

Post Game Press:
"The team fought super hard each set and we were able to climb back as a team multiple points throughout the two matches," said sophomore Brenna Piller (Simsbury, Conn.). "I am super proud of what we accomplished as a team during such a tight match, and I am proud of how far this team has come. I am excited to see how far we go!
Up Next:
The Chargers return to action on Wednesday as they travel to Keene State College to take on the Owls with a 7:00 PM start time.  

By Mary Thoms - Women's Tennis