The Middlebury volleyball team fell by a 3-1 final against St. John Fisher to conclude the North Country Classic in the Ronald T. Burkman Gymnasium before bouncing back to sweep Clarkson at Alumni Gymnasium in Potsdam, New York.

HIGHLIGHTS VS. ST. JOHN FISHER

• The Cardinals used a pair of service aces by Kalyna Dannenberg and kills from Kaylene Noble and Ana Gutman to begin the contest with a 6-2 edge. The Panthers stopped the run with seven of the next eight points to lead 9-7.
• Middlebury and Fisher traded the ensuing 15 points, playing to a 15-14 tally in favor of the Panthers. Devin McCormack logged two markers in the stretch, while Noble secured three points for the Cardinals.
• Dannenberg and Noble recorded kills in a three-point swing, prompting a Middlebury timeout. The Panthers tied the opening set at 17 following the break, but SJF claimed eight of the final 10 points to secure a 25-19 victory in the stanza.
• Level at 3-3 to start the second frame, the Cardinals capitalized on two Panther service errors and aces from Dannenberg and Isabella Mahar to take five of six points and make it 8-4.
• Middlebury swung back with a 6-1 run to snatch a 10-9 advantage and force a Fisher timeout.
• The Panthers built a narrow 15-12 edge featuring scoring strikes from Molly Harrison and Ava Tuccio before the Cardinals rattled off an 8-2 spurt for a 20-17 edge.
• Middlebury used a Gabby Pribisich putaway and an opposing attack error to bring the set within one, but the Cardinals closed the stanza with five straight points to win 25-19.
• Caroline Byrne and Harrison combined to secure four points in an 8-3 opening to the third session, but Fisher evened the stanza at 11-11 with an 8-3 run of its own.
• Middlebury benefitted from four Cardinal miscues in the next six points, regaining the edge, 16-12. The Panthers held SJF at bay, opening a 20-15 lead to prompt a timeout from the opposition. Three Cardinal attack errors and two service aces from Bartley helped Middlebury force a fourth set, 25-19.
• Tied at 3-3, Fisher used putaways from Dannenberg, Noble and Madalyn Bouton to drive a 5-1 run. Middlebury outscored St. John Fisher 7-3 with kills from Pribisich, Molly MacDonald and Tuccio to tie the affair at 11-11.
• Later in the set, Fisher tallied six consecutive points, including three aces by Morrow, to go ahead 23-17 and win the set by a 25-21 tally.

HIGHLIGHTS VS. CLARKSON

• Trailing 3-0, Harrison and Byrne combined for three kills to pull the visitors to within one, 5-4. After three Clarkson tallies, the Panthers ripped off a 10-2 run to lead 14-10.
• MacDonald, Harrison and Pribisich each recorded two more successful attacks while Middlebury conceded just five more points to earn a 25-15 win in the opening session.
• The Panthers won seven of the first 10 points to open the second stanza, but the Golden Knights responded with a 14-3 swing to lead by seven (17-10), including four kills from Grace Hanson.
• The sides split the next 10 points before Middlebury found a rhythm, storming back to secure 10 of the last 11 markers and win the second set, 25-23. Pribisch tallied two kills in the stretch.
• The Golden Knights maintained a small lead in the third frame until a 4-1 rally tied the battle at eight. Each team held the other at bay with Clarkson taking a slim 18-17 lead later in the set.
• Middlebury found a late gear once again as MacDonald put away a pair of points during an 8-2 stint to win the set (25-20) and complete the sweep.

NOTES

• Byrne set her career high with 11 kills and added 11 digs for her first career double-double against the Cardinals. She matched those totals against the Golden Knights and has now recorded 11 digs in three consecutive matches.
• Harrison finished the day with a combined 17 kills and 20 digs, finishing one dig shy of a double-double against Clarkson.
• Tuccio posted a team-high 12 kills against the Cardinals, while adding 10 total blocks.
• Annabella Rando tallied 27 digs across the two matches.
• Head coach Sarah Raunecker coached her 800th career match against Fisher.
• Middlebury and SJF squared off for the third time with the Cardinals pulling ahead in the all-time series. The Panthers extended their winning streak over Clarkson to four.

Middlebury returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts Saint Michael's at 7:00 p.m. inside Pepin Gymnasium.