After two straight come-from-behind, five-set wins to start the weekend, the women’s volleyball team walked away from the NESCAC Championships last weekend as runner-up, winning its first two games against Trinity and Amherst before falling in the championship match to Williams. The Polar Bears were not offered an at-large bid to the D-III Championship, and they end their season with a 23-7 record.
Captain Taylor Vail ’14 was named the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year, and is the first Bowdoin player to receive this distinction. Vail, captain Ellie Brennan ’14 and Christy Jewett ’16, were recognized as a Second Team All-NESCAC selection.
In the quarterfinal round of the tournament, the second-seeded Polar Bears emerged triumphant against Trinity after five sets of play with scores of 25-15, 17-25, 19-25, 25-16 and 15-13. Jewett led Bowdoin with 18 kills and 17 digs, while Brennan added 11 kills. Vail had four aces and a match-high 20 digs. Quincy Leech ’17 and Sophia Cornew ’14 combined for 38 assists to secure the Bowdoin victory.
On Saturday, the team topped third-seeded Amherst 3-2, claiming the win by set scores of 25-22, 22-25, 15-25, 25-20 and 15-13. Jewett was again critical in the victory, posting 24 kills, 16 digs and seven aces. Leech had 48 assists and 25 digs, with Brennan adding 15 kills and Vail tallying 17 digs. Vail now holds the school record with the most career digs with 1,567. With the win, the Polar Bears advanced to their second NESCAC title game in the past three seasons.
Bowdoin and Williams faced off on Sunday to battle for the NESCAC Championship. Bowdoin could not match the firepower of the Williams offense, and the Ephs claimed the title with set scores of 25-16, 25-15 and 25-19 to secure a convincing 3-0 win and walk away with their eighth conference trophy since 2000.
According to Emi Gaal ’15, the team made a few important mistakes that allowed Williams to come out on top.
“We could have done a better job of reading and anticipating the opponent’s next move,” said Gaal. “Our play was more reactionary and less assertive, which made it hard to finish long rallies.”
Head Coach Karen Corey said she was proud of the effort and passion the team played with over the weekend. She was especially impressed with Jewett.
“[Jewett] really shone in these matches,” said Corey. “She took the team on her back and played wonderfully.”
Coach Corey also stressed how well the team did against elite competition.
“Williams is an exceptional team,” she said. “They have five hitters on the court at all times, and we were outmatched. I give a lot of credit to the girls, but Williams was a great opponent.”
Gaal echoed those sentiments.
“We had a hard time adjusting to the variety of plays Williams ran against us,” she said. “They really did a great job of exploiting our weaknesses, something that the other two teams didn’t do as diligently.”
Gaal also emphasized how well the team had done throughout the season despite several setbacks.
“We had our fair share of challenges including sickness and injury, so there was never really one set of starters for the whole season,” said Gaal. “Nevertheless, we were able to establish great cohesion on the court and we just had a lot of fun together.”
Overall, the team reported being pleased with the season’s results.
“The friendships made and the games won made this season unforgettable,” said Audrey DeFusco ’16.
The team will graduate three seniors at the end of this year, but hopes to return stronger than ever. According to Gaal, the team has two goals: “Win NESCACs and crush Williams.”