Middlebury improved to a program-best 9-0 on the season with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Amherst (5-1, 2-1) on Friday night in Pepin Gym. The Panthers (9-0, 3-0) return to action on Saturday when they host Brandeis at 3:00 p.m., while the Mammoths will play Brandeis at Middlebury earlier in the day at 1:00 p.m.
 
With the match tied at 1-1, Middlebury went on top with a 25-17 victory in the third set. A 4-0 spurt when trailing 8-7 put the hosts up 11-9. Tied at 13-13, the Panthers rattled off six of the next seven points, with kills from five different players for the 19-14 advantage. Poor hitting down the stretch by Amherst secured the 25-17 third-set win.
 
The Mammoths bounced back in the fourth frame, jumping out to a 12-5 lead. Trailing 20-13, Middlebury made a run behind four kills by Maggie Wise to make it a one-point match (20-19). The hosts came within one three more times, but Amherst held on for the 25-23 win.
 
The fifth and final set was even at 12-12 before Corley Doyle and Laney Sullivan had back-to-back kills to make it 14-12. The Mammoths answered, but Doyle struck again for the match winner and the 15-13 victory.
 
Wise paced the Panthers with 20 kills, Doyle added 14, while Katie Kraczkowsky added nine. Gabbie O'Toole dished out a career-high 42 assists in the match to go along with 16 digs, while Kelly Ferrero dug up 16 balls.
 
Jamie Dailey led all players with 21 kills for Amherst, followed by 14 apiece from Sophie Launsbach and Caroline Tilton. Carly Cooper earned 44 assists and 19 digs, while Lizzie Papalia picked up a team-high 24 digs.