The Middlebury volleyball team continued its strong start of the season with a three-set sweep (25-18, 25-17, 25-14) over Colby on Friday in the NESCAC opener for each program. The Panthers (7-0, 1-0) are home again on Saturday against Bates, while the Mules (4-1, 0-1) head to Amherst with both matches starting at 2:00 p.m.

In the opening set, Middlebury never trailed. The hosts led 18-13, before finishing on a modest 7-5 run with Laney Sullivan sealing the win with a kill on an assist from Gabbie O'Toole.

In the middle frame, the score stayed close in the early going with Middlebury holding nothing bigger that a three-point lead. The Mules narrowed the gap to 10-9, but a 4-0 burst by the Panthers gave them some breathing room. Sullivan served Middlebury to the final five points of the match, grabbing a 2-0 lead.

The hosts closed out the victory with another nice run, completing the sweep. Colby grabbed its first lead of the match at 7-6 on a service point by Susie Mueller, but the match stayed tight with four more ties, including at 14-14. The Panthers capped the sweep with Jane Nelson notching the final 11 service points, capped by a solo block by O'Toole for the 25-14 finals.

Middlebury had a balanced attack, as Maggie Wise (11), Corley Doyle (10) and Sullivan each recorded double figures in kills, with Doyle hitting at an impressive .625. O'Toole dished out 30 assists, raising her season total to a NESCAC leading 167. Sullivan collected 18 digs, while Nelson led all players with five service aces.

For Colby, Hannah Wyllie had a team-best seven kills, while Samantha Schultz and Natalie Bumpus each had six. Schultz added a match-high 25 digs, while Megan Selby dished out 14 assists.