The women’s volleyball team won an impressive four matches last week, picking up three conference victories and making a strong rebound from the September 29 loss to Connecticut  College.  The winning streak brought Bowdoin back in the national rankings to the 25th slot and left the team’s record at 6-1 NESCAC, 16-2 overall. 
The four wins come at an important time for Bowdoin, putting the team back on the right track after its 3-0 loss to Conn. College two weeks ago.  The defeat broke a 40-match home court winning streak that extended back to 2007 and marked the first time the Polar Bears had lost to a NESCAC team since 2010. 
The Polar Bears began last weekend with a commanding 3-0 victory over Colby on the road in Waterville. The team was dominant from the beginning, and though Colby made a valiant comeback effort in the third set, Bowdoin was in control the entire match, easily taking the victory with set scores of 25-13, 25-12, 25-22.
Melissa Haskell ’13 led Bowdoin’s offensive effort with nine kills and two service aces, while Ellie Brennan ’14 picked up seven kills. Setter Sophia Cornew ’14 made an important contribution with 30 overall assists. 
The team then traveled on to Lewiston, where it decisively defeated Bates 3-0, with set scores of 25-20, 25-12 and 25-19. 
Tory Edelman ’13 had nine kills against the Bobcats while Cornew racked up six kills and 23 assists. 
Later that day, Bowdoin returned to Brunswick to win a dramatic and fiercely fought 3-2 match against Tufts. Bowdoin began strongly, picking up the first two sets 25-18, 25-18, but faltered in the third and struggled to clinch the victory. They lost the next two sets 20-25 and 19-25.  Everything then rested on the climatic fifth set, where the team was able to eke out a close 15-13 win to take the match. 
Haskell again led the team with 12 kills while Christy Jewett ’16, Brennan and Edelman all earned 10 kills each. Cornew had 46 assists while libero Taylor Vail ’14 had 14 digs in the win. 
In recognition of her exemplary performance in the weekend’s three conference wins, Cornew was recognized as NESCAC Player of the Week. This is the second time that Cornew has been singled out for this honor this season, earning it once before in early September for her efforts at the Endicott Invitational.
The Polar Bears then went on to cruise to an easy 3-0 victory against Maine Maritime Academy last Tuesday night.  Bowdoin amassed an astounding 25 service aces against Maine Maritime, earning the win with set scores of 25-11, 25-8 and 25-6. 
Jewett led the team offensively with seven kills while Luisa LaSalle ’14 and Hailey Wahl ’16 had six kills each. 
 “We are all really happy to have won all three of our conference matches,” said Haskell, reflecting on the team’s weekend successes. “NESCAC matches are the most important matches that we play all year because they determine the seeding and host of the final conference [tournament]. We loved hosting last year, and hopefully we will win the rest of our NESCAC matches this season so we can host again this year.” 
The team returns to the action this weekend with four matches at home Morrell Gymnasium. The games kick off tonight at 5 p.m. against Colby-Sawyer before the Polar Bears go on to take on the Coast Guard Academy at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the team begins with a NESCAC match against Hamilton at 11 a.m. and will close out the weekend with a match against Wellesley at 2 p.m.