AMHERST, Mass. – After capturing three wins at the UMass Boston Tournament, the Mammoths opened up in-conference play against Middlebury at home in LeFrak Gymnasium Friday night Unfortunately, after winning the opening set, Amherst fell to its NESCAC rival 3-1.
The team has an opportunity to bounce back tomorrow in a 2 p.m. home match against Hamilton.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
*The Mammoths started off their NESCAC play strongly in the first set. With the score tied at 14, the Mammoths surged ahead behind service aces from Tiana Richardson and kills from Reagan Lentz and Abby Nichols, bringing their lead to 22-16. Three consecutive Amherst points closed out the match with a 25-17 Mammoths victory.
*Middlebury took control in the second set. Although Amherst remained close behind kills from Tiana Richardson and Chloe Mensah, the early tie at 7 quickly turned into a Panthers' domination. The Panthers built a 22-7 advantage over the Mammoths and finished the match with a resounding 25-14 victory.
*During the first half of the third set, Amherst remained within striking distance of Middlebury. Early service aces from Gabrielle Hines and Katelyn Xue gave the Mammoths some momentum, drawing within one point of Middlebury at 14-13. However, the Panthers took control in the second half, scoring the final five points and finishing with a 25-16 victory.
*The Mammoths showed early dominance over the Panthers, gaining a 6-3 advantage behind a Liliana Brandt ace and an Abby Nichols kill. Amherst stretched its lead to 12-7 with the aid of two Gabrielle Hines kills and a Judith Subirats-Bosch ace. Middlebury answered with an 8-1 run, gaining a 15-13 lead. The Panthers took fire towards the end, finishing the set on top with a 25-18 victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
*Gabrielle Hines led the team in kills with 11, and Abby Nichols added 6.
*Tiana Richardson led the team with 5 block assists. Gabrielle Hines added 4 block assists and 1 solo block.
*Liliana Brandt led the team with 15 assists, and Judith Subirats-Bosch added 12 assists.
