STANDISH, Maine – Wellesley College volleyball split its tri-match on Saturday afternoon. Coach Dorothy Webb's team fell to Bates College before defeating host Saint Joseph's College of Maine.
Bates 3, Wellesley 0 - 25-14, 25-16, 25-19
The Blue dropped the opening match of the day 3-0 to Bates (5-1). Junior Evie Hill (Rocklin, Calif.) led Wellesley with 10 kills on .533 hitting. Sophomore Else Kunze-Hoeg (Eagan, Minn.) finished with 21 assists and 10 digs. Senior Kaija Kunze-Hoeg (Eagan, Minn.) contributed nine digs and four kills.
Bates was led by Kate Norry's 7-kill, 2-block performance. Malina Young registered six kills and seven digs. Lauren Croom posted 16 assists and 11 digs.
The Blue raced out to a 7-2 lead in the opening stanza. Bates found its footing and evened out the set by 13-13, running away with it in the latter stages.
The Bobcats were the early aggressors in the second, going up 6-2. A 5-1 Wellesley run tied it up at eight apiece, but Bates responded by gathering nine of the next eleven points. Wellesley couldn't get back within five, with the garnet and black taking it 25-16.
The final was the most competitive. Despite trailing 20-8 and seeming down and out, the Blue refused to go down without a fight. A 10-1 run featuring a trio of kills from Hill helped Wellesley shaved the deficit down to just three at 21-18. That would be the closest the set got, with Bates regrouping and finishing off a 25-19 frame for the win.
Wellesley 3, Saint Joseph's 1 - 25-18, 25-13, 23-25, 25-12
Hill led the Blue with 12 kills in addition to six aces and 10 digs. E. Kunze-Hoeg put up seven kills, 28 assists and 13 digs and K. Kunze-Hoeg had nine kills and digs.
The Blue came out hot against the hosts, going up 7-2 in a hurry. The Monks (2-5) regained composure, bringing the set to a two-point differential at 11-9. A trio of kills from Wellesley put space between the two squads. The Blue began to pour on the pressure with multiple kills from K. Kunze-Hoeg. Despite three set point saves, Saint Joseph's couldn't mount a comeback, with Wellesley taking a 25-18 opener.
A 7-0 run in the front half of the second set put the Blue up 14-5. From there the teams traded points all the way until the end of the 25-13 set. Wellesley ended the second stanza with eight kills and only a single error, compiling a .292 team hitting percentage and four aces.
Saint Joseph's struck back, taking a tightly contested 25-23 third. Neither team ever held a lead of more than three points through 17-14 with momentum alternating back and forth. A late stretch saw the Monks' lead swell to 21-15, but Wellesley got it back to 23-21 before the set could get out of reach. Down 24-21, E. Kunze-Hoeg delivered an ace for the Blue. However, it wouldn't be enough with an attack error sending the match into a fourth.
Wellesley left no doubts in the fourth and final set. The offense came early and often in a 25-12 showing with eight kills and a trio of aces. With the win the Blue climbed back over .500 at 4-3 on the season.
The Blue will return home to Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse on Tuesday, September 16 for a 6:00 PM non-conference showdown with Gordon College.
