WATERVILLE, Maine – The 10^th-seeded Bowdoin College volleyball team pulled off the biggest upset in NESCAC Tournament history on Sunday afternoon, knocking off second-seeded Colby in the conference quarterfinals, 3-1. The Polar Bears (13-9) advance to the NESCAC semifinals next Friday evening at top-seeded Wesleyan.
 
Match Highlights

• The Polar Bears, fresh off a first round win at Hamilton on Friday night, traveled all the way back to Maine and recovered from a first set loss to take a 21-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-16 win.
• After dropping the first set, the Polar Bears rebounded to win a tightly-fought second set, using an 8-2 run midway through the stanza to take the lead. Colby closed to within 21-19 late, but Bowdoin rolled off four straight points to take the win.
• Bowdoin took control of the third set early and never trailed after that, taking an 11-5 lead, extending their edge to as many as nine points before holding off a late rally by the Mules to win 25-19.
• Colby came out firing in the fourth set, trying to force a decisive fifth, and grabbed a 6-1 lead out of the gate. But Bowdoin stayed within striking distance at the midway points, trailing 13-8. The Polar Bears dominated from there, riding an Ella Haugen service run to win ten straight points, stunning the Mules and closing the set on a 17-3 surge to clinch the match.

By The Numbers

• Skye LaMendola paced Bowdoin with 15 kills while also collecting 12 digs in the win while Lily Janas and Mina Mittler pitched in nine kills apiece.
• Ella Haugen set the tone with 36 assists while also notching ten digs.
• Bowdoin had a stellar defensive effort from its backline, as Maya White (31 digs), Anna Yeh (16 digs) both saw double digits along with Cam Lindsey (10 digs).
• Bowdoin forced Colby into 32 attack errors on the day.

Up Next

• Bowdoin will return to the NESCAC semifinals for the 11^th time in the last 13 tournaments where they will face top-seed Wesleyan University at 5:00 p.m. on Friday.