AMHERST, Mass. – In a thrilling match in which no set was decided by more than three points, the Amherst College volleyball team rallied after dropping the first two sets to win a five-set marathon over Trinity College, 22-25, 24-26, 25-23, 25-23, 15-12, in NESCAC action on Friday night at LeFrak Gymnasium.

The Mammoths improved to 6-6 overall and 3-3 in NESCAC play with their third straight win, while the Bantams had their five-match winning streak halted and fell to 9-5 overall and 2-3 in conference play.

The Mammoths return to LeFrak Gymnasium tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 7) at 2 p.m. to face Wesleyan, which enters the match ranked 14th in Division III and is the only team still unbeaten in NESCAC play.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

* The first set was tight early until a string of four straight points gave Trinity a 13-9 lead. The Mammoths came back to tie the set at 16-16 on an ace from junior Lizzie Papalia but after a 17-17 tie, the Bantams scored five straight points and held on for a 25-22 win in the opening set.

* The second set featured larger swings early but was even tighter in the end. Amherst took the first three points and built a 5-2 lead before Trinity went on a 7-0 run to take a 9-5 lead. The Bantams held a slight edge until three straight Amherst points tied the set at 16-16 and both sides traded points, keeping the set close through a 23-23 tie. A kill from junior Bella Caffuzzi gave Trinity set point, but sophomore Charlotte Rasmussen and first-year Tiana Richardson combined on a block to tie the set at 24-24. Caffuzzi answered with another kill and an ace from first-year Scarlett Jago gave the Bantams the second set by a 26-24 margin.

* A run of six straight points gave Amherst a 9-3 lead early in the third set but the Bantams closed the gap to tie the set at 12-12. The Mammoths followed with a 7-2 run but five straight Trinity points tied the set at 19-19. First-year Chideraa Ngwadom put the Mammoths back on top with back-to-back kills. The two sides alternated points for the rest of the set with a kill from junior Anaya Thomas giving the Mammoths the 25-23 victory in the set.

* The Bantams raced out to a 6-0 lead in the fourth set but the Mammoths used a 6-0 run of their own on the serve of senior Katelyn Hamasaki to get back within one before tying the set at 12-12. Neither team could pull away from there and a kill from Caffuzzi tied the match at 23-23 before Rasmussen blasted a kill to give the Mammoths set point and a Trinity attack error off the serve of junior Anaya Thomas clinched another 25-23 set for the Mammoths to force a deciding fifth set.

* After taking a 4-1 lead in the fifth set, the Mammoths held the lead for the rest of the set, winning the point every time the Bantams got back within one. Crucial kills from senior Carly Cooper and junior Kinsey Cronin kept Amherst in the lead and after a Trinity attack error gave the Mammoths match point, Cooper set up Cronin to end the match with a kill.



BY THE NUMBERS:

* Rasmussen led the Mammoths with a career-high 24 kills, 6 of which came in the decisive fifth set, while adding 16 digs and 3 service aces. Thomas and Cronin added 10 kills each.

* Cooper tallied a season-high 46 assists and contributed 16 digs.

* Papalia posted 29 digs to lead five Mammoths in double-figure digs.

* Junior Eva Lekovic led the Bantams with 20 kills, while Jago tallied 42 digs.