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Will Costello
The Panthers toppled #25 Springfield 3-1 on Friday night.
1
Springfield SPRING 20-2
3
Winner Middlebury MIDVB 13-5
Springfield SPRING
20-2
1
Final
3
Middlebury MIDVB
13-5
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Springfield SPRING 18 26 19 22 (1)
Middlebury MIDVB 25 24 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Volleyball Topples #25 Springfield 3-1

The Middlebury volleyball team toppled #25 Springfield 3-1 to open the 2023 New England Challenge. The Panthers improve to 11-2 in their last 13 matches and hand the Pride just their second loss of the season.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
  • Trailing 4-2 in the opening set, Middlebury rattled off five-straight points, capped by a service ace from Britt Lange to move into a 7-4 lead.
  • The Panthers continued to add to their advantage, winning five of the next eight rallies on back-to-back kills from Lexi Linafelter and Ava Tuccio to take a five point edge (12-7). 
  • Middlebury maintained its lead, taking a 21-15 advantage on a kill by Gabbie O'Toole. 
  • Springfield went on a late 3-0 run to close the gap to three (21-18), but the Panthers responded with a 4-0 spurt, capped by a kill from Molly Harrison for the 25-18 triumph.
  • The second stanza was a back-and-forth affair. Trailing 12-10, Middlebury rattled off four-straight points, capped on a kill by Harrison for a two-point advantage (14-12). 
  • With the score 20-18 in favor of the Panthers, the Pride went on a 3-0 run to regain the lead (21-20).
  • The teams continued to battle, but Springfield managed to pull away to claim the second set 26-24 and level the match at 1-1.
  • Middlebury wasted no time in the third frame, jumping out to an early 7-0 advantage. O'Toole highlighted the spurt with two service aces.
  • The Pride would not go away, firing off a 5-0 spurt to cut the deficit to three (15-12).
  • That was as close as the visitors would get as the Panthers would not be denied a victory in the third set and an ace from Lillian Caldwell gave Middlebury a 25-19 win and a 2-1 edge.  
  • In the fourth stanza, the Panthers opened by winning eight of the first 10 rallies with Tuccio connecting on three kills during the run.
  • Middlebury continued to pull away and stormed into a nine-point advantage (14-5) following a service ace by Campbell Keller.
  • Springfield continued to chip away at the deficit throughout the middle of the set, cutting the Panther lead to 20-18 on an ace from Olivia Gentry.
  • The teams traded points and with Middlebury leading 24-22, Tuccio and Katie Kraczkowsky combined for the match-winning block to secure the Panthers' 3-1 upset victory. 
NOTES
  • Harrison (12 kills, 10 digs) recorded her eighth double-double of the season and registered double-digit kills for the 15th time in 18 career matches.
  • With 35 assists tonight, O'Toole has tallied 20 or more assists in 66 of her 67 career matches played.
  • Middlebury has now won the last six matches against the Pride.
The Panthers will be back in action on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. when they face #19 MIT, before taking on Babson at 3:30 p.m.
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