Harford, Conn. – Sophomore OH Becca Raffell (Palo Alto, Calif.) had 13 kills, three aces, and eight digs to lead the visiting Middlebury College Panthers to a 3-0 victory over the Trinity College Bantams in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) volleyball action his evening at Oosting Gymnasium.  Middlebury improves to 10-2 overall and 2-1 in the NESCAC, while Trinity falls to 4-7 overall and 0-4 in the league.  The Bantams host league rival Hamilton tomorrow at 2 p.m. and the Panthers visit NESCAC foe Wesleyan at 2 p.m.

Middlebury raced to a 9-2 lead in the opening set and finished with A 25-13 win to go ahead, 1-0.  The second set was tied at 17-all when Middlebury scored four points in a row en route to a 25-19 victory.  Trinity led, 5-1, early in the third set but the Panthers used a 5-0 run to take a 6-5 lead.  With Trinity ahead, 23-21, Middlebury scored the match's final four points to take the third set, 25-23.  Raffell scored two of those four points.

Watch a nice spike by the Batnams here. 

Trinity senior co-captain RS Hunter Drews (Clifton Park, N.Y.) and first-year Rachel Underwood (Danville, Calif.) had seven kills apiece, while Underwood added 11 digs.  Senior S Gina Buzzelli (Cheshire, Conn.) notched 14 assists and sophomore MH Claudia Varner (Port Washington, N.Y.) had three kills, an ace, and two block solos for the Bantams.  First-year OH Isabel Sessions (Chicago, Ill.) had 10 kills and five digs, while junior S Hannah Blackburn (Chapel Hill, N.C.) registered 25 assists and eight digs, and sophomore OH Emily Kolodka (Verona, N.J.) contributed two aces and 17 digs for Middlebury.