NEW LONDON, N.H. – Junior Kamryn Brakemeier put down a match-high 22 kills and senior setter Bree Bacon dished out 44 assists as the Colby-Sawyer College women's volleyball team outlasted in-state Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) rival New England College, 3-2 (25-20, 25-27, 27-25, 21-25, 15-13), in a dramatic five-set showdown on Saturday afternoon at the Dan and Kathleen Hogan Sports Center.
Rapid Recap:
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Colby-Sawyer set the tempo early in the opening set, breaking away midway through behind sophomore Maggie Wilder's serve. Wilder sparked a 5-0 run with three kills from sophomore Addison Sasnett and senior Brooke Tasker to build a 13-6 cushion before the Chargers held off a late NEC push to claim the frame, 25-20.
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Set two went down to the wire in extra points. After the Pilgrims edged ahead 23-20, Colby-Sawyer answered with a 4-0 spurt behind three straight kills from Brakemeier to earn set point at 24-23. NEC countered with four of the final five points to steal the second set, 27-25.
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The Chargers dug deep in another tightly contested third frame that featured 14 ties. Facing a late deficit, junior Madison Sinatro anchored a four-point service run—highlighted by four consecutive Brakemeier kills—to vault Colby-Sawyer into the lead. With the score leveled at 25-25, an NEC service error and a block-assist kill from sophomore Claire Rocky sealed a thrilling 27-25 win for the Chargers.
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The Pilgrims rebounded to take the fourth set 25-21, surviving a late 7-1 Colby-Sawyer surge to send the match to a winner-take-all fifth stanza.
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In the fifth set, Colby-Sawyer grabbed the advantage on Wilder's serve, jumping ahead 9-6 on an ace. After NEC fought back to tie the score at 13-13, a costly Pilgrim service error gave Colby-Sawyer match point before Bacon set up Sasnett for the match-winning kill to finish off the 15-13 victory.
Inside the Numbers:
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Brakemeier spearheaded the Colby-Sawyer attack, matching her career mark with 22 kills to go along with three aces, three blocks, and 12 digs.
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Sasnett posted 14 kills and five blocks, while Tasker chipped in seven kills and a block.
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Bacon orchestrated the offense with a 44-assist, 15-dig double-double while adding two kills, two aces, and a block.
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First-year Hayden Blanchard anchored the net defense with a match-high seven total blocks (one solo, six assisted) to go along with two kills.
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Senior Alexis Mandrino led the backcourt with 16 digs, while Sinatro and Bacon followed closely with 15 digs each. Sinatro also contributed six assists and an ace.
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Colby-Sawyer held advantages over the Pilgrims in total points (76.0 to 71.0), kills (58 to 47), assists (53 to 43), and team digs (103 to 86).
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With the victory, Colby-Sawyer improves to 12-17 overall and finishes 8-5 in GNAC play, earning its 12th win of the 2026 campaign.
Up Next:
Colby-Sawyer advances to the postseason, awaiting final official scheduling and pairings for the upcoming rounds of the 2026 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Volleyball Tournament.
