Babson Park, Mass. - September 20, 2022 - The Springfield College women's volleyball team was clipped in five sets at No. 22 Babson in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play on Tuesday night. The Beavers prevailed by the scores of 17-25, 25-27, 25-20, 25-20, 15-12. 

Springfield, which was receiving votes in the the most recent AVCA Division III National Coaches Poll, dropped to 7-2, 2-1 in conference play  The Beavers, ranked 22nd nationally, are now 9-1, 3-0.

Springfield was paced by Natalie Billet's (Commack, N.Y.) 13 kills and 12 digs, while Ally Townsend (Hummelstown, Pa.) turned in 26 digs. Riley Donahue (South Windsor, Conn.) chipped in 18 digs and five blocks and Jamie Albrecht (Selden, N.Y.) added eight kills.

For Babson, Lauren Gips had a match-best 18 kills and Roz Babuena was credited with 27 digs. After committing 25 attack errors through the first two sets, the hosts combined for just 16 in the next three sets as they owned a 45-26 advantage in kills in the sets that they won.

The Pride jumped out to a 10-5 lead in the first after Albrecht cranked a ball down the line in transition to force the hosts into a timeout.  The lead would grow to 15-7 following three-straight attack errors by the Beavers, and Albrecht would later seal the 25-17 victory as she converted off hands for a transition kill, her fourth of the frame.  Springfield would benefit from Babson committing 12 attack errors in the opening set as the hosts hit -.130.

Donahue and Maeve Voltz (Bay Shore, N.Y.) combined for a thunderous block to give the Pride an 8-4 advantage in the second.  Babson would later take its first lead of the night following a 6-1 push on an ace as the Pride burned a timeout of its own.  Springfield would regain a 21-19 lead following Babson's 10th attack error of the stanza and earn set point after Billet blasted a ball for a 24-22 edge. However, Babson would respond with three-straight points of its own to gain their own set point, only to have the Pride force the Beavers into three-consecutive miscues to snag the 26-24 victory.  

A 4-0 burst capped off by a kill from Voltz allowed the Pride to own an 8-4 cushion to begin the third, but Babson was able to use a 7-3 push to knot things up at 11-all.  Albrecht and Voltz would later combine for a kill to snuff out a long rally at 13-11 and Elsie Phillips (Granby, Conn.) manufactured a kill out of a timeout to give the Pride a 19-18 lead.  However, the hosts would close out the set on a 7-1 surge to force a fourth set with a 25-18 win in a frame where they totaled 18 kills as a team. 

Leading 8-6 in the fourth following another Albrecht kill, Springfield would surrender a 7-0 run as the hosts seized control of the set. Leading by as many as six in the set, Babson's advantage would be trimmed to 21-19 following an attack error, but they would use a 4-1 push down the stretch to force a fifth set. 

Donahue hammered a cross court kill to give the Pride a 5-3 lead early in the fifth, only to have Babson score the next five points.  Springfield would later regain an 11-10 lead off a great swing from Billet, but out of a Babson timeout, the Beavers scored the next three points en route to taking the 15-12 victory. 

On Friday, Springfield will host Trinity at 6 pm in non-conference play.