MEDFORD, Mass. - The Bowdoin College women's volleyball team advanced to the NESCAC Semifinals for the sixth consecutive season with a 3-1 win over Williams in the conference quarterfinals played at Tufts on Friday evening.

The Polar Bears (15-9), seeded fourth in the tournament, end the season for the Ephs (13-11) in a rematch of last year's NESCAC title game, also won by Bowdoin. The Polar Bears advance to the conference semifinals on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. against Tufts.

Match Highlights

• Bowdoin took a 2-0 lead and held off the Ephs by set scores of 25-19, 25-18, 26-28, 25-21.
• The Polar Bears burst out of the gate in the opening set, jumping to a 7-1 lead and never trailing. Williams cut the lead to two points late before a pair of attack errors by Williams clinched the set for Bowdoin.
• Bowdoin again sprinted to an early lead in the second, taking another 7-1 advantage and commanding throughout, capping the set with a kill from Michelle Albright to take a 2-0 edge.
• In the most competitive set of the match, Williams owned a late 24-20 lead, but Bowdoin rolled off a 4-0 run to force extras. The teams traded points until a kill by Roxi Corbeil and attack error by Bowdoin gave the Ephs a 28-26 win.
• The teams traded points to open the fourth set with neither team taking control. Tied at 16 apiece, Bowdoin used a key 4-0 surge to take a 20-16 advantage. Williams would rally to deadlock the score at 20 apiece, but kills by Albright and Quincy Leech sparked a 5-1 run to cap the set and clinch the victory.

By The Numbers

• First-year Caroline Flaharty led the way offensively for Bowdoin with 17 kills while also adding 15 digs.
• Erika Sklaver had a dozen kills and six blocks for the Polar Bears while Sydney Salle pitched in nine kills and Albright added eight.
• Defensively, Katie  Doherty had a match-high 35 digs while Albright had 19. 
• Quincy Leech dished out 39 assists, increasing her career total to 3,168, drawing to within 47 of the school's career record.
• Tori Jasuta led Williams with 22 kills in a losing effort.

Up Next

• Bowdoin will battle Tufts in the NESCAC Semifinals on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The game will be carried live by the Northeast Sports Network.