Williamstown, Mass. - October 21, 2023 – The Springfield College women's volleyball team split its final two matches of the New England Challenge on Saturday as the nationally-ranked Pride was clipped by Tufts before rallying for a reverse sweep over Williams. 

Ranked No. 25 in the nation in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)/TARAFLEX Division III national poll, Springfield closes out the weekend with a 21-3 record this season. 

On Tuesday, Springfield will return to New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play versus WPI at 7 pm.

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Tufts 3, Springfield 2 (25-23, 25-19, 20-25, 22-25, 15-10)

In the five-game setback to Tufts, Riley Donahue (South Windsor, Conn.) totaled a match-best 22 kills at a .404 clip to go along with 14 digs, while  Natalie Billet (Commack, N.Y.) had 17 kills and  Ally Townsend (Hummelstown, Pa.) registered 12 digs.  Springfield had 15 service winners in the contest, including three from Donahue, Olivia Nealy (Athens, Ga.), and Tori Colosimo (Fairport, N.Y.).

After falling behind 8-2 in the first set, Springfield battled all the way back to gain a 20-17 advantage off a big swing from Billet.  However, Tufts responded with a 6-0 push and was able to hold on for a 25-23 win in a frame where it totaled 14 kills.

Knotted up at 14-14 in the second set, Tufts again broke away, this time getting an 8-1 run capped off by back-to-back aces to take control en route to the 25-18 win. 

Tufts kept things rolling in the third, taking a 9-3 lead in the early going.  However, Springfield showed plenty of grit, as it accounted for 18 kills in the stanza, 11 of which came off the arms of either Donahue or Billet, as it battled back to tie things at 15. Trailing 20-19 late, Springfield scored the final six points of the set, with Billet burying a kill for the 25-20 win. 

Springfield wasted no time carrying that momentum into the fourth, seizing a 9-3 lead to force Tufts into a timeout following a block from Nealy and Olivia Gentry (Cincinnati, Ohio).  The Pride's offense was particulary dynamic in the frame, hitting at a .500 clip with 14 kills, including five from Donahue.  

In the fifth, Tufts sided out at 100% and had 10 kills on a .500 hitting percentage to pull out the five-set win.  Clinging to a 12-10 lead, the Jumbos scored the final three points of the match to seal the victory. 

Springfield 3, Williams 2 (14-25, 17-25, 25-17, 31-29, 15-12)

The Pride rallied for its second reverse sweep of the season to close out the tournament on a high note with a five-set win. Townsend led all players with 23 digs, while Donahue also earned a match-best 23 kills in pacing the Pride's offense.  Nealy stuffed her stat sheet with 13 digs, 10 kills, and three aces, Colosimo registered 43 helpers, and Voltz posted five blocks and nine kills. 

Tied up at 10 in the first, Williams scored four-straight points and never looked back for the 25-14 win as the Pride hit -.030 compared to a .414 performance by the hosts. 

The Ephs used a similar burst midway through the second, as another 10-10 tie would turn into a 15-11 advantage. Williams erupted for 17 kills in the set, which came on a .375 hitting percentage.

In the third, a kill and block from Maeve Voltz (Bay Shore, N.Y.) allowed Springfield to gain a 17-14 cushion. The Pride took advantage of nine hitting errors by the Ephs in the game to snag the 25-17 win and stave off the sweep. The fourth set was a wild affair, with 18 ties and eight lead changes proving to be a back-and-forth stanza. Springfield would fight off three match points before Nealy would deliver a kill cross court and an Ephs swing would sail long to force a fifth set. Nealy was steady in the set with six kills, while Donahue put away seven balls.

Donahue was dominant in the fifth, tallying six kills to fuel a Springfield attack that hit .409. The Pride would lead 8-7 at the switch and gain a 12-9 lead when Voltz and Donahue delivered consecutive kills. In fitting fashion, Donahue cranked her 23rd kill of the night on match point to complete the reverse sweep and 15-12 win.