Volleyball Tops Newbury in Five Sets

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Mitchell College posted a 3-2 (20-25, 25-20, 25-20, 24-26, 15-5) victory over Newbury College on Saturday afternoon in New England Collegiate Conference action at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

After squandering several chances to end the contest in four sets, Mitchell left no doubt in the fifth and final stanza. The Mariners trailed 4-2 before capturing 13 of the final 14 points to close out the match.

Laurissa Amaker led Mitchell with a career-high 20 kills and added 23 digs. Ariana Carter finished with 13 kills and three blocks while Cameron Childs handed out a season-high 45 assists. Shyla Phillips-Krick led all players with a career-high 41 digs.

Monica Bolduk paced Newbury with 10 kills while Stephanie Rheaume and Halie Sanders added nine and eight, respectively. Sanders also contributed 20 assists and 25 digs, and Sophia Ortiz posted a team-high 26 digs.

After the teams traded the first two sets, Mitchell led 14-13 in the third when Amaker took over and supplied kills on four consecutive points to bump the margin to five. The Mariners rode the momentum and later secured their final two points on kills by Nikki Gerald to grab the 2-1 lead.

In the fourth, another kill by Amaker gave the Mariners a 24-20 advantage with a chance to serve for the match. However, the Nighthawks stayed alive by winning six straight points on the serve of Sanders—who contributed a kill and an ace during the stretch—to extend the match.

Back-to-back kills by Sanders and Bolduk staked Newbury to an early lead in the fifth. However, Mitchell pulled away behind 12 straight points with Amaker at the service stripe. Carter and Courtney Cappabianca supplied four kills apiece in the final set as the Mariners picked up their second conference win of the season.

Gerald and Cappabianca each finished with nine kills while the latter also chipped in 18 digs. Childs tacked on five service aces while Carter and Phillips-Krick each added a pair.

Mitchell (3-14 overall, 2-5 NECC) will next play at Dean College on Tuesday, October 23 at 7 p.m. Newbury (2-15 overall, 0-7 NECC) returns to action at Becker College on Tuesday at 7 p.m.