BRUNSWICK, Maine – For the second straight night, the Bowdoin College volleyball team was tested by an in-state foe, but again the Polar Bears prevailed, defeating Bates 3-2 to clinch the top seed for the 2021 NESCAC Volleyball Championship.
With the win, the Polar Bears finish the regular season with a record of 19-4 (9-1 NESCAC), and will host the NESCAC Tournament beginning on Friday in Brunswick. The Polar Bears will host eighth-seeded Hamilton in the opening round on Friday evening. Complete tournament pairings will be announced on the
NESCAC Championship Central page.
Match Highlights
- Bowdoin prevailed in five sets, 25-17, 20-25, 20-25, 25-12, 15-10.
- The Polar Bears used a late run, finishing the first set on a 7-0 run to take the opening set, 25-17.
- Bates flipped the script in the second and third sets, rallying past Bowdoin late in both sets to take a 2-1 overall lead.
- Bowdoin took complete command midway through the fourth, using an 11-2 run to sprint to a 25-12 win and forth a deciding fifth.
- Bates jumped on top early, and owned an 8-6 lead, before kills from Cori Gray and Sophia Pahl, followed by consecutive aces from Jenna Robbins, to take an 11-8 advantage. Bowdoin would never trail again, and closed it out on four straight points to earn the win and the NESCAC's top seed.
By The Numbers
- Sophia Pahl was outstanding, earning 20 kills and 24 digs to spark the Polar Bears offensively and defensively.
- Cori Gray ended with 11 kills, seven aces and nine digs while Jaida Hodge-Adams totaled seven kills and 23 digs.
- Ella Haugen had 46 assists as the Polar Bears racked up 19 service aces in the match.
Up Next
- Bowdoin will host Hamilton at 5:00 p.m. on Friday evening in the NESCAC Quarterfinals. The complete schedule will be announced on Saturday evening on the NESCAC Website.
