Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CAMBRIDGE, Mass. –
Sydney Johnson combined for 25 kills and
Emilyann Ashford 21 as the Keene State College volleyball team split with 20th-ranked Bowdoin College and Endicott College to conclude the MIT Invitational Saturday at the Rockwell Cage. KSC fell 3-1 to the Polar Bears (25-21, 21-25, 18-25, 24-26), coming one point shy of forcing a fifth set, before rebounding to sweep the Gulls (25-16, 26-24, 25-14) behind a high-powered offensive attack in the final match of the weekend.
Records
- Keene State: 5-2
- No. 20 Bowdoin: 2-2
- Endicott: 4-3
How It Happened – No. 20 Bowdoin
Facing a team that reached the national quarterfinals in 2019, the Owls got an impressive career-high 15 kills on .394 hitting by Ashford and 12 spikes from Johnson while combining for a whopping 13 blocks as a team (seven more than Bowdoin). However, the Polar Bears put up the final three points of a 26-24 fourth set to deny KSC a chance at a decisive fifth. KSC was ultimately unable to overcome Bowdoin recording eight more aces (10-2) and 21 more digs (68-47). Sophia Pahl had a match-high 18 kills for the Polar Bears and Jenna Robbins added 15.
Keene State got off to a strong start, putting up eight of the first 10 points, and weathered the Polar Bears' surge to take the opening set 25-21 behind 14 kills on .324 hitting. KSC's six point edge vanished when Bowdoin scored 10 of the next 14, but the Owls immediately put up the next four and did not trail again in the frame, later going up 22-17 after three straight kills by Ashford. Johnson's spike brought up set point and KSC took the lead in the match on Maya White's service error.
Bowdoin answered in the second set, but it was not easy, as the Owls erased two three-point deficits but could not do it a third time, as the Polar Bears pulled away from a 16-16 tie to lead 22-19 in the late stages.
Cassidy Samuelson brought KSC within 23-21, but kills by Corinne Lamond and Pahl stopped the Owls right there. Bowdoin controlled most of the third set to take the upper hand in the match, scoring five in a row early to build an 11-6 edge which later became 17-10 after two kills and two aces in four straight points. Keene State tried to answer, scoring six of the next eight culminating with Ashford and Johnson's block that made it 19-16, but the Polar Bears snuffed out the comeback hopes with a 4-0 burst.
Trailing 2-1 in the match, the Owls got themselves all the way to set point while looking to force a deciding fifth set, but surrendered the last three points as they could not close out leads of 19-17 and 23-21 in the late going. After Bowdoin tied it at 23, an Ella Haugen serving error gave KSC the chance to close it out, but the Owls could not score again.
How It Happened – Endicott
In a match that saw Keene State hit a whopping .425 while making just six errors and Endicott .319 while committing just 10 miscues, it was the Owls who closed the weekend in fine style, sweeping a Gulls team that defeated No. 20 Bowdoin earlier in the weekend, pushed MIT to five sets, and finished 23-8 while making the NCAA tournament in 2019.
KSC took the opening set 25-16 while outhitting Endicott .320 to .100, and then proceeded to put up 28 kills against only two errors in the ensuing two sets, ones they won by scores of 26-24 and 25-14. The Owls also rung up a 10-4 edge in aces, paced by
Elizabeth Johnson's four.
Sydney Johnson finished with a match-high 13 kills (.522 pct.) and
Ali McLoughlin had 12 while swinging at a .440 clip.
Kacie Blanchet continues to be a consistent producer, tallying 32 assists and seven digs. Amanda Gilbert paced Endicott with eight kills.
The .425 hitting percentage is the highest allowed by Endicott in over 11 years and Keene State's highest since a 3-0 win at Rhode Island College on September 21, 2019 when they hit .488, finishing with 46 kills and seven errors.
Service Aces
- Keene State has lost four of six against Bowdoin and won two of three against Endicott, though they had not played either team since 2015.
- Reagan Fleming, who tallied 43 digs over the three matches this weekend, was named to the MIT Invitational All-Tournament team.
Up Next
- Keene State returns to Spaulding Gymnasium for their home opener on Tuesday, September 14 against Rivier University (1-1) at 7:00 p.m.
- Bowdoin opens their NESCAC schedule against Wesleyan University (Conn.) at home this Friday, September 17 (7:00 p.m.).
- Endicott visits Wellesley College on Thursday, September 16 at 7:00 p.m.
