BRUNSWICK, Maine - The Bowdoin College volleyball team will play for its first-ever NESCAC Championship on Sunday after defeating Trinity College 3-1 (25-17, 19-25, 25-17, 26-24) in the conference semifinals on Saturday afternoon at Morrell Gymnasium.

The top-seeded Polar Bears' record-setting season continues as they improve to 25-2 this year. The fourth-seeded Bantams likely finish their campaign with a mark of 19-9. Bowdoin will face Middlebury at noon on Sunday in Morrell Gymnasium for the NESCAC Championship.

The teams traded the opening two sets before Bowdoin pulled away in the third to carry a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth stanza. A see-saw set ensued, with the teams trading the lead before settling in a 24-24 tie. Bowdoin notched the final two points in the fourth to secure the 26-24 decision and the 3-1 victory.

Kristin Hanczor was outstanding for the Polar Bears, totaling 13 kills and six blocks in the middle. Melissa Haskell delivered several key points down the stretch and finished with 12 kills and 15 digs. Setter Sophia Cornew delivered 40 assists to go with 13 digs and six kills while Taylor Vail pitched in a team-high 19 digs.

Hannah Brickley had 12 kills and 12 digs for the Bantams. Kelly O'Brien and Danielle Isaman supported her with seven kills each in the loss. Sarah Blagden led the Trinity defense with 21 digs while Jennifer Low dished out 29 assists.

Middlebury 3, Tufts 1
BRUNSWICK, Maine - The Middlebury College volleyball team will defend its NESCAC Championship on Sunday after defeating Tufts University, 3-1 (26-24, 20-25, 25-21, 28-26 ), in the NESCAC semifinals at Bowdoin College on Saturday afternoon.

The third-seeded Panthers (21-7) will face the host Polar Bears in the title match Sunday at noon. Tufts (25-5) will hope for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament when the field is announced on Monday.

Middlebury carried a 2-1 lead into the fourth set and rallied from a 22-19 deficit, dodging a set point for Tufts, to earn a 28-26 victory to seal the match.

The Panthers featured a balanced attack, getting 13 kils each from Megan Jarchow and Jane Handel. Handel also pitched in 11 digs for Middlebury. Julia Gibbs sparked the attack with 38 assists and earned 16 digs defensively. Caitlin Barrett led the squad with 19 digs.

Cara Spieler led the way for the Jumbos, racking up a match-high 19 kills and 19 digs in the loss. Hayley Hopper had 15 kills and Kelly Brennan notched 11 for Tufts. Kendall Lord dished out 52 assists while Audrey Kuan posted 28 digs.

MIDDLEBURY-TUFTS BOX SCORE