The Middlebury volleyball team rallied from two sets down on Friday evening to complete a 3-2 reverse sweep of Bowdoin. The three-set comeback marked the first since 2019.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Both teams played chess to begin the opener, splitting the first 10 points to be deadlocked at 5-5. 
• The Panthers took the first momentum swing, using two kills from Devin McCormack and Gabby Pribisich as part of a 6-2 blitz, to grab an 11-7 lead. 
• The Polar Bears fought back with a kill by Haley Campau and a visitor attacking error to slide within two (14-12). Gabbie O'Toole and Molly Harrison teamed up for back-to-back kills to stretch the lead back to four (16-12) and force a timeout. 
• The stoppage brought life back into the home team as three kills by Mina Mittler sparked a 9-4 surge to give Bowdoin a 21-20 edge. The hosts never gave the lead back, winning the final three points to take the opener, 25-22. 
• Level at 6-6 in the second frame, Mittler tallied two more successful attacks alongside a Panther hitting error to push the Polar Bears ahead by three (9-6).
• Middlebury continued to hang around, cutting the deficit to one three times in the set. Bowdoin stayed the course, as Skye LaMendola and Mittler recorded kills and a service ace from Maya White gave the Polar Bears their largest lead of the set (20-15) and forced a Panther timeout.
• The visitors put in one final push, moving to within two (20-18), but Bowdoin surged on with a 5-0 run to secure a 25-19 victory.
• The Polar Bears kept their foot on the gas in the third, including two kills apiece from Ashley Jazbec and Alison Smith, to build an early 8-5 cushion. Harrison brought the response the Panthers needed, recording three kills as part of a 6-1 dash, to grab the first lead of the set at 11-9.
• The wave continued to be on the side of Middlebury as it stretched its lead to as many as four (13-9) before Bowdoin took a 16-15 advantage thanks to two service aces from LaMendola.
• Harrison and McCormack continued to will the Panthers back into the lead, combining with four kills and a block to push Middlebury ahead by four (22-18) and eventually a 25-21 triumph.
• Both sides battled early in the fourth stanza, splitting the first 14 points until the Panthers took a 10-7 lead led by consecutive service aces from Harrison.
• Ava Tuccio helped build the lead up to four (13-9) with a kill, but the home team charged right back with four kills from three different Polar Bears to tie the stanza at 13-13.
• Middlebury shook off the run, ripping off a 7-1 stretch of its own with three kills coming from Harrison to surge ahead 20-14. The Panthers never surrendered the lead, using a Lauren Baxter kill and Bowdoin service error to win the frame (25-19) and send the match to a decisive fifth.
• Bowdoin came out energized to open the final stanza, taking a 6-4 advantage on consecutive kills from LaMendola and Mary John.
• Middlebury used a Polar Bear service error paired with consecutive attacks that went long to take an 11-10 edge and force a stoppage.
• The pressure continued to sway on both sides until O'Toole stepped up for a solo block to put the Panthers a point away from the improbable. McCormack ensured the comeback was complete, tapping a kill that fell between three players to secure the reverse sweep.

NOTES

• McCormack recorded a career-best 15 kills in Friday's triumph.
• Harrison posted double-digit kills (19) for the 13th time this season.
• O'Toole went over the 40-assist plateau for the fifth time in 2024 and the 19th time in her career. 
• With the triumph, Middlebury holds a 28-12 advantage in the all-time series and has won two straight against the Polar Bears.

The Panthers close their NESCAC road trip with a contest against #24 Colby on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.