Rally Falls Short for Blue Volleyball in 3-1 Setback to Springfield

WELLESLEY, Mass. -- Senior Nicole Doerges (San Marino, Calif.) totaled a career-high 25 kills but Wellesley College volleyball fell short against visiting Springfield College, 3-1 (25-17, 25-18, 25-27, 26-24), in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) on Saturday afternoon at Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse.

Doerges added 14 digs for the Blue, who dropped to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in NEWMAC play with the setback. Springfield continues its undefeated start to the season, improving to 9-0 overall (2-0 NEWMAC). 

Doerges hit .396 on 53 attempts to lead the Blue. Junior TylerBell Smith (Frisco, Texas) added eight kills and senior Tiffany Shou (San Jose, Calif.) totaled five kills and 14 digs. Junior libero Claire Bialek (Brookline, Mass.) had a team-high 16 digs and senior setter Izzy Seebold (Concord, N.C.) finished the match with 35 assists. 

Four Springfield attackers finished the match in double-figures, with senior Ashley Tanner (Manorville, N.Y.) leading the way with 15 kills. Graduate Student Camryn Bancroft (Eastport, N.Y.) tallied 12 kills and first years Natalie Billet (Commack, N.Y.) and Kylie Wixted (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) each added 10 kills. Billet also had 10 digs. Senior setter Sara Labadorf (Huntersville, N.C.) orchestrated the Pride offense with 35 assists and added a team-high 14 digs. Junior libero Claire Dorr (Massapequa, N.Y.) finished with 11 digs. 

The Pride opened the contest with a 25-17 victory in the first set. Springfield was in control throughout the first set and carried the momentum into the second. The Blue briefly wrestled the lead away on a kill from Mia Maxwell (Arlington, Mass.) that made the score 5-4, but the Pride used a 7-1 run to earn an 11-5 advantage. The Blue later narrowed the gap to three, when a kill by Kate Salembier (Sierra Madre, Calif.) made the score 19-16, but would get no closer as the Pride took a 2-0 edge in the match with a 25-18 win in set two. 

The Blue jumped out to an early lead before holding on late to earn a set three victory. The match was tied 13 times in the third set, including at 25-25 at the end of the frame. However, a Doerges kill followed by an ace from Smith sent the match into the fourth set with Wellsley now trailing 2-1. Springfield jumped to a 4-1 lead in the fourth and held the lead until a big Blue block from Maxwell and Salembier made the score 17-16 Wellesley. The Blue would move to within a point of sending the game to a fifth set but Springfield earned five straight points to prevail, 26-24, as Bancroft earned the final kill on a set-up from Labadorf. 

Both teams continue the NEWMAC play on Tuesday, September 21 at 7:00 PM. Wellesley will stay home to host MIT and Springfield will return to Wellesley, this time to take on Babson College.