The Middlebury volleyball team went toe-to-toe with 13th-ranked Colby on Saturday but came up short in a 3-1 loss at Pepin Gymnasium. Saturday's contest was a rematch of the 2024 NESCAC Championship match.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Down 12-10 in the opening stanza, Molly Harrison tallied four kills to spark an 8-1 surge and push the Panthers ahead, 18-13.
• Consecutive attack errors helped Colby cut into the lead, capping a 6-3 surge to make it 21-19.
• The Panthers won three of the final five points and Molly MacDonald rattled off two kills to claim a 25-21 triumph in the opening set.
• The Mules flipped the script to begin the second frame. Brady Moseley paced the visitors with five successful swings to build an 11-6 advantage.
• Colby's lead continued to swell. Five different players recorded kills to secure nine of 13 points for the visitors and a 20-10 advantage.
• The Panthers trimmed the deficit to eight (23-15) on a service ace by Lauren Baxter, but the Mules tallied the next two points to secure a 25-15 set triumph and tie the match at one.
• Both sides jockeyed for momentum in the third, splitting the first 26 points for a 13-13 score. 
• The back and forth continued until the 20-20 mark. Sydney DeProfio tallied a kill that sparked a 5-0 spurt to seal the third (25-20) for the visitors.
• Neither side gave an inch during the fourth session. Harrison and Kendall Glover led their respective sides with two kills each to stay deadlocked at 13-13.
• Hayley Beigh provided the spark for Colby, starting a quick 4-1 spurt on a successful swing for a 17-14 lead that forced a stoppage.
• Middlebury stayed within striking distance, keeping it a one-point deficit (21-20) with two kills from Ava Tuccio. 
• The Mules weathered the storm, finishing the contest with four of the final five points for the four-set triumph.

NOTES

• Harrison led the charge with 16 kills and 18 digs, good for her 42nd career double-double. Her .245 hitting percentage also paced the Panthers.
• Annabella Rando led both sides with 19 digs and three service aces.
• The programs met for the 41st time.

The Panthers head to Connecticut to battle #21 Wesleyan on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.