Harford, Conn. – Sophomore MH Kate Giddens (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) had an astounding 22 kills against just one error to go with 15 digs and a match-high three blocks, leading the Trinity College Bantams to a 3-0 (25-22, 25-13, 25-21) victory over the visiting Amherst College Lord Jeffs in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) volleyball regular-season finale for both teams this afternoon at Oosting Gymnasium.  Trinity closes the regular campaign at 15-11 overall and 5-5 in the NESCAC, while Amherst, ranked No. 6 in New England, ends up at 19-7 overall and 7-3 in the league.  Both teams have qualified for the eight-team NESCAC Championship Tournament next weekend at Williams.  Trinity, playing in its fifth consecutive post-season, will be the No. 7 seed and play Bowdoin in the first round, while No. 3-seeded Amherst will face Middlebury.

In the first set, Trinity used a 5-0 run to take a 9-4 lead and extended it to 20-11 on a kill by senior tri-captain Hannah Brickley (Melrose, Mass.) before the Lord Jeffs scored seven of eight points to pull within 21-18.  A block and two kills by Giddens gave Trinity set point at 24-18, but Amherst rallied to score four in a row.  Giddens finished it off with her eighth kill of the first set.

The Bantams trailed, 12-11, in the second set, but senior tri-captain S Amy Hackett (Wallingford, Conn.) served up five points in a row for a 16-12 Trinity lead.  After a kill by Amherst rookie Nicole Gould (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) ended that rally, sophomore Hunter Drews (Clifton Park, N.Y.) served for each point of a 9-0 Bantam run including an ace to end the set and give Trinity a 2-0 lead.

Amherst came out strong in the third set, leading, 7-3, and, 11-6, but an 8-1 Bantam run gave the home team a 14-12 advantage.  The Lord Jeffs tied the set at 19-19 after a Gould kill and the teams traded points, before two kills by Giddens, a Lord Jeff error, and an ace by Hackett put the game away.

"We played some of our best volleyball of the season today," said Trinity Head Coach Jen Bowman.  "I thought our defensive effort was terrific, and really determined the outcome of the match."

Brickley, playing in her final home game along with Hackett and senior tri-captain L Sarah Whitham (South Weymouth, Mass.), had 12 kills and a team-high 28 digs, while Hackett and first-year S Randi Whitham (South Weymouth, Mass.) combined for 44 assists and 14 digs.  Drews totaled three aces and eight digs and freshman L Kristen Cooprider (Hopkinton, Mass.) notched 22 digs.  Gould paced Amherst with 11 kills, while fellow rookie Maggie Danner (Newport Beach, Calif.) added 10 kills and 17 digs, sophomore S Nicole Carter (Irvine, Calif.) contributed 23 assists, 13 digs, and two blocks, and sophomore K Katie Warshaw (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) amassed a match-high 34 digs.