On Friday, women's volleyball took the first set but lost in four to Williams. After beating the Polar Bears in the quarterfinals, the Ephs went on to win the championship title, while Bowdoin's loss marked the close to one of the most successful seasons in the program's history.
With records of 19-11 overall and 5-5 conference, the Polar Bears stood just three matches shy of beating their record season of 22 wins in 1988.
Their final tallies have improved dramatically over the past decade. In 2001, the team finished its season with a 7-23 overall, 1-10 conference record.
Its percentage of NESCAC wins was a meager .091. Over the past three years, this percentage has climbed steadily, moving from .300 in 2007 to .400 in 2008 and, finally, an impressive .633 in 2009.
The team's current seniors have been especially valuable in achieving this steady statistical climb.
Because of their dedication, work ethic, team leadership, or sheer skill, co-captain Gillian Page '10, co-captain Jenna Diggs '10, and Kelsey Howe '10 have left their mark on Bowdoin volleyball history.
Page holds career records for total kills and total attempts, and ranks second in digs and fourth for aces. Diggs similarly dominates for digs, and comes in second for assists and third for aces.
As a class, the seniors finished their careers with 73 wins—the second-most of any class in the program's history. At .574, they have also achieved the strongest winning percentage for a class that Bowdoin volleyball has seen yet.
The trio's presence in the final match against Williams was correspondingly evident. Page led with eight kills out of 47 total attacks while also contributing 16 digs; Howe notched four kills out of her 16 attacks. Diggs supported the offensive line with 16 assists, the defensive with 12 digs.
However, the strength of the senior class lies in more than the individual prowess of its players.
"Their guidance and leadership has motivated and inspired us so much," said Gina Lonati '12, "and they are great friends and supporters on top of that."
The team's motivation was evident in the accomplished performance of the underclassmen against Williams.
Melissa Haskell '13 led with eight kills, followed by Victoria Edelman '13 with seven, Kristin Hanczor '12 with six, and Stephanie Drumright '11 with five. Jillian Berkman '12 established a new program record, posting 37 digs.
Despite the strength of these efforts, however, the sixth-seeded Polar Bears were unable to stop the second-seeded Ephs.
"We started out very strong against Williams," Diggs said. "Even after a 10-point deficit, we came back and won game one."
However, after sealing this first set at a tight 25-23, Bowdoin failed to maintain its lead.
Williams built on its newly gained momentum to steal the last three sets at 25-18, 25-18 and 25-12.
Diggs blames the loss on a general waning of confidence within the team, as the hitters repeatedly struggled to find holes in Williams' defense for kills.
"The success of future Bowdoin teams will depend not on skill," Diggs said, "but rather on the ability to play with a winning attitude in every match."
To those involved, however, the future of Bowdoin volleyball looks bright. Diggs and Page both agreed that the team is, skill-wise, the best they have ever seen.
After all, the team defeated Amherst for the first time in four years and Bowdoin was the only team to take even one set away from Williams at the final NESCAC tournament.
"I have never played with such a talented group of girls," Lonati said. "We've had our ups and downs, but in the end I think we should all be proud because we have represented Bowdoin well in our efforts."