Springfield, Mass. - October 21, 2017 - Competing against two of the top programs in the region, the Springfield College women's volleyball team was bested by Middlebury and Tufts in the New England Challenge at Williams College.

Middlebury prevailed over the Pride by the scores of 20-25, 27-25, 25-19, 25-21 before Tufts earned a 25-18, 26-24, 25-19 win in a rematch of last year's NCAA Division III Championship Sweet 16 showdown. The losses drop Springfield, who was eighth in the latest NCAA Division III Regional Rankings, to 14-11 on the season.

Versus Middlebury, Jen Donnelly (Exeter, R.I.) totaled 17 digs and 14 kills, while Anagabrielle Sanchez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) matched her career high with 35 digs.  Daniela Detore (Lake Grove, N.Y.) and Kayley Cimino (Cumberland, Maine) combined for 46 assists, with Cimino adding nine kills and eight digs.

A pair of kills from Donnelly and two aces from Hannah Lozano (Stockton, Calif.) allowed the Pride to surge out to a 6-1 lead in the first set, and the lead would grow to 20-12 when Camryn Bancroft (Eastport, N.Y.) converted out of the middle.  Middlebury would get no closer than three as Springfield hit .257 as a team for the 25-20 win.

In the second set, Springfield used a kill from Bridget Walsh (Garrison, N.Y.) to earn a 16-13 advantage, only to have the Panthers use a 4-0 run to force the Pride into a timeout.  Walsh would give Springfield a set point at 24-23, but the Panthers used three big kills down the stretch to rally for the 27-25 victory. 

Knotted at 16 in the third, the Panthers benefited from a 9-3 burst to break away for the 25-19 win.  Neither team hit above .100 in the frame, with Sanchez totaling 10 digs in the stanza. 

A kill by Cimino brought Springfield within 12-11 in the fourth before Middlebury turned five Springfield miscues into an 8-3 run and 20-14 cushion.  The Pride battled back to 23-21, forcing the Panthers into a timeout, but Middlebury would score the next two points to complete the four-set victory. 

Facing Tufts for the first time since last season's NCAA Sweet 16 matchup, Donnelly produced 13 kills and Sanchez posted 15 digs and a pair of aces.  Bancroft contributed six kills and two blocks as Cimino and Detore each handed out 15 assists apiece.

A kill from Donnelly brought the Pride within 11-10 in the first set, before a 5-1 burst by the Jumbos pushed them ahead 16-11.  A solo stuff from Bancroft made it a 19-17 in favor of Tufts, only to have a 6-1 surge seal the 25-18 win as the Jumbos hit at a .351 clip.  Kayleigh Helgesen (Oceanside, Calif.) had three kills in the stanza for the Pride. 

The second set featured 10 ties and three lead changes and the Pride owned a 22-19 edge following a big swing from Helgesen.  However, after the Pride earned set point at 24-23 on a kill by Donnelly, Tufts answered with three-straight points for the 26-24 win.   Donnelly carried the Pride in the stanza, ripping seven kills on a .375 percentage.

Cimino put away a kill to even things at nine in the third, but an 11-5 run by Tufts proved to be the difference as they earned a 20-14 advantage.  Hitting .341 as a team in the frame, Tufts completed the sweep with a 25-19 win, despite seven different Springfield players registering at least one kill.

Springfield will return to New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action in their regular season home finale versus Wheaton at 7 pm.