Cambridge, Mass. – September 26, 2008 – The Springfield College women’s volleyball team picked up a pair of wins in the opening night of the MIT Invitational on Friday evening as it continued its torrid start to the 2008 campaign.

The Pride swept Bowdoin in its first match of the night, winning 25-12, 27-25, 25-23, before picking up a huge win over Williams in four games, 25-23, 25-22, 16-25, 25-12.

In the win over Bowdoin, Heather Lively (Royalston, Mass.) led the Pride attack with 14 kills. Aylene Ilkson (Baldwin, N.Y.) led the defensive charge for Springfield with 17 digs, while Heidi Yohe (Deer Park, Wash.) added 16 digs and five service aces.

In the key win over Williams, Lively once again was sensational as she hammered out 16 kills. Bethany Stosz (Amherst, Mass.) was a stalwart at the net, registering 10 blocks in the victory, while Sarah Lang-Rodean (Mansfield, Conn.) added 14 kills.

For head coach Joel Dearing, it was the first time since the championship match of the Volleyball Hall of Fame Classic on October 25, 2003 that Springfield had defeated Williams.

Springfield now stands at 12-1 in 2008.

The Pride will play two matches on Saturday, with the opponents to be determined.