MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - The Bowdoin College volleyball team is off to their best-ever start in NESCAC play and sits in a tie for first-place in the conference after a Saturday sweep of Connecticut College, 3-2, and Trinity, 3-0, in matches played at Wesleyan University. The Polar Bears are 11-5 overall (5-0 NESCAC) and have already matched their best-ever win total for conference play in a single season.

Bowdoin claimed the final two sets to win their opener against Conn. College, 18-25, 25-12, 19-25, 25-22, 15-9. The Polar Bears were simply outstanding defensively, collecting 21 blocks as a team. A balanced offensive attack featured 12 kills apiece from Hillary Cederna and Ellie Brennan. Melissa Haskell chipped in 11 kills and 11 digs while Stephanie Drumright rattled off nine kills and tied a school record with 11 total blocks. Stephanie Bond had 41 assists while Taylor Vail collected 20 digs in the win.

The Polar Bears cruised in their afternoon meeting with the Bantams, taking a 3-0 sweep by scores of 26-24, 25-18, 25-21. Haskell racked up 11 kills in the win while Cederna added 10 more. Bond paced the attack with 34 assists while Vail led the team with 19 digs.

Bowdoin will return to action on Tuesday night when they host Bates in a non-conference tilt at Morrell Gymnasium at 7:00 p.m.