The Middlebury volleyball team powered its way to a 3-1 victory against Skidmore on Tuesday evening in Pepin Gymnasium.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The teams traded points early in the first set before an 11-3 run sparked by a kill from Ava Tuccio gave the Panthers a 13-6 edge.
• The Thoroughbreds battled back, cutting the deficit to four (14-10) with an ace from Catriona Hoelperl.
• That was as close as Skidmore got in the opener, as Tuccio rattled off two more kills before an attacking error by the visitors capped a 10-1 blitz to secure the first set (25-12).
• The Thoroughbreds responded immediately in the second stanza led by four kills from Rudi Reyes and two blocks to take an 11-7 lead. 
• The green and white continued to roll with four different attackers recording kills as part of a 6-0 run to jump ahead by nine (17-8).
• Harrison and Baxter provided a jolt for the Panther attack with three consecutive attacks to pull back within six before Madison Manning recorded her fourth kill of the set to clinch the second, 25-17.
• The third set started as a tug of war between both sides with neither squad building a lead bigger than two. 
• The tide turned for the Panthers at the 21-21 mark. A block by Molly Harrison and Tuccio, an unsuccessful attack by the visitors, and a Harrison kill put Middlebury on the doorstep at 24-22. 
• Skidmore did not go away, tying things up at 25 apiece on a kill by Reyes. 
• The Panthers persevered, as a Caroline Byrne service ace clinched the third for Middlebury (27-25).
• The Thoroughbreds stormed out of the gates in the fourth, building a 9-4 advantage headlined by two kills and a block from Mozrall.
• Lauren Baxter helped chip away at the deficit with two successful attacks to get the home team within two (12-10).
• Skidmore continued to hold onto the lead until Harrison and Pribisch teamed up for three consecutive kills, giving the Panthers their first lead of the set (18-17) since the opening point.
• The visitors would not go away, using a Natalie Pedersen kill to stay within one at 20-19. 
• That was as close as the Thoroughbreds would get, as Middlebury finished the set on a 5-2 run to win the frame and extend its winning streak to five consecutive matches.   

NOTES

• Harrison led the Panther attack with 17 kills, extending her streak of double-digit attacks to nine consecutive matches.
• Baxter became the second Panther to surpass the 100-kill mark on the season after recording 11 in Tuesday's triumph.
• Annabella Rando continued her streak of five consecutive matches with double-digit digs (20). 
• Middlebury and Skidmore squared off for the 34th time. The Panthers hold a 26-8 edge in the all-time series and have won 17 straight matchups.

 Middlebury closes its four-match homestand with a NESCAC battle against Williams on Friday at 7:30 p.m.