Bay Path Wages 3-1 Comeback over Mitchell

HOLYOKE, Mass.- Senior outside hitter Nadine Harkless (Westfield, Mass.) led the Wildcats in a 3-1 victory over New England Collegiate Conference opponent Mitchell College after falling 25-17 in the first game with a match high .375 attack percentage totaling 17 kills. Bay Path  did not look back after taking game two 25-8, finishing 25-21 and 25-20 to their third conference victory this season in NCAA Division III women's volleyball action.

The Mariners won the first game outhitting the Wildcats with a .147 team attack percentage with 11 kills taking advantage of a negative hitting percentage by the Wildcats.  Senior outside hitter Bianca Young (Bridgeport, Conn.) led the Mariners with five kills in the first game, while Junior Libero Arianna Thomas (Fresno, Calif.) patrolled the court with 11 digs. Young finished with six kills and seven digs, while Thomas led all players with 29 digs.

Despite a great first game performance the Mariners fell apart in the second game and were unable to regain momentum until the game four. Defensively, Bay Path topped their opponent finishing with a match high 75 digs to the Mariners 68 for the night.

In the third set, both teams played point for point until 16-17 when the Wildcats pulled away scoring seven straight points.  Junior setter Ashley Provost (Ludlow, Mass.) started the rally with a dump. Freshman outside hitter Allie Esquivel (Irving, Tex.) scored the 18^th point, while Provost notched another kill for the 19^th point.

Bay Path server freshman outside hitter Kacie Bayreuther (East Lyme, Conn.) nailed a service ace putting the scoreboard to 20-17. Sophomore middle hitter Kate Bartels (Dalton, Mass.) attacked the next two points finishing the seven point run 22-17. Bay Path took the third set after another kill by Provost and some Mariner errors.

The final game was another tight game flip flopping point for point until 14-14. Bay Path again waged a rally scoring the next six point taking a 20-14 advantage. Bartels who set the ball rolling also scored the final kill for the Wildcats. The final three point of the match included two service errors from both teams and an attack error by Mitchell's sophomore right side hitter Gloria Charles (New Haven, Conn.).

Five Wildcats notched double figures in digs. Harkless garnered a double double with 17 kills and 20 digs, as did Provost with 29 assists and ten digs, four kills shy of a triple double. She also added a .333 attack percentage. Senior outside hitter Vanessa Chaplin (Attleboro, Mass.) finished with 21 digs. Bayreuther finished with 11 and Esquivel 10 digs for the match.

Bartels followed Harkless with ten kills, while Bayreuther had seven kills for the evening.

Freshman outside hitter Emily Stracuzzi (East Lyme, Conn.) led the Mariners with 10 kills and added 14 digs with a .212 attack percentage. Freshman setter Nicole Terni (Ledyard, Conn.) was the only other Mariner to notch a double double with 22 assists and 12 digs.

Bay Path is now 10-8 on the season a 3-1 in conference play. Mitchell falls to  5-5 overall  and 0-3 in NECC play. The Wildcats will travel to Boston to face Curry in non-conference action on Friday, October 14^th for a 6:00 p.m. match, while Mitchell hosts Newbury on Thursday, October 13^th for a 6:00 p.m. NECC match