The Middlebury volleyball team pulled away in each of Friday's three sets, claiming a 3-0 victory over Connecticut College in the home-opening match for the Panthers. The contest marked the first NESCAC battle for both teams.

HIGHLIGHTS 

• Middlebury grabbed the momentum early in the opening set. A Camel service error sparked an 8-0 run, capped off by a bad set by the visitors, to push the Panthers ahead 12-3.
• Mila Chan and Katherine Randall tried to get the visitors back into the first frame with back-to-back kills to get within eight (18-10). Middlebury kept the momentum rolling as a Gabbie O'Toole service ace and kill by Molly Harrison gave the home team the first set, 25-13.
• Connecticut College came out firing in the second stanza, jumping out to a 7-4 advantage on two blocks from Rae Wartelle and four attacking miscues by the hosts.
• The Panthers clawed back into the set with a 6-2 blitz behind two kills by Harrison and one each from Devin McCormack and Gabby Pribisich to knot the score at 10-10.
• Momentum swung back and forth until consecutive attack errors by the Camels gave Middlebury its first lead of the set at 15-14.
• The lead stayed on the side of the home team for the rest of the set, as three more kills by Harrison and three unsuccessful attacks by the Camels clinched the second frame for the Panthers, 25-17.
• Middlebury moved out to an early 10-6 lead in the third before the Camels rallied with a 6-3 run finished with a Wartelle kill to get within one (13-12).
• The Panthers stayed the course, using a Camel service error to charge ahead 19-12. 
• Connecticut College got as close as 24-18 on a kill by Randall before Lauren Baxter slammed a cross-court winner down to give the Panthers their initial conference victory of the season.