ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - Inspired by four departing seniors, the Bard College women's volleyball team left it all on the floor on Wednesday night, but the Raptors lost to Mount St. Mary College, 3-1, in a thriller.

Philippine Alba, Alexis Akingbade, Zoe Morgan-Weinman and Kaylynn Tran were honored pregame, and the emotion and energy carried over into the first set. Bard simply never trailed. The Raptors got up, 11-5, saw Mount close the gap to 18-16, but won the first set, 25-19.

The second set was tied four times, the last time at 18-18, when the Knights took charge on the strength of an ace and two hitting errors. A ball handling error and a hitting error closed out the set for Mount St. Mary, 25-19.

The third set was close the entire way, a pivotal junction comeing with Bard down, 19-17. Mount ran off three straight points and took the set, 25-21.

The fourth set was one to remember. It was tied seven times before either team got into the twenties, with Bard pulling slightly ahead as the set wound down. But Mount St. Mary (13-17) fought back. Consecutive set points for Bard, at 24-22, were nullified by consecutive hitting errors, but a service error gave Bard another set point at 25-24. Danielle Kralik (Bedford Hills, NY) produced a kill to tie it again.

An attack error gave Bard another set point at 26-25, but Morgan Burke (Ringwood, NJ) tied it with a kill. Another attack error gave the Raptors yet another chance, by Ally Klesin (Glendale, NY) pounded one down and it was even again, 27-27.

In all, Mount St. Mary saved seven set points; Bard saved one. A kill by Klesin made it 30-30, a kill by Megan Williams (Glendale, NY) made it 31-30, and Kralik ended the match with a kill, 32-30.

Williams led the Knights with 14 kills, Kim Gries (Hicksville, NY) had 39 assists, and Juli Figueroa (Dorado, PR) had 18 digs.

The Bard seniors played well in their final home match. Alba had 13 kills and five digs. Tran had six kills and six digs. Akingbade produced seven kills and three digs, and Morgan-Weinman had four kills, four digs and three blocks. Sophomore Emily Anastasi had 32 digs, and sophomore Maracela Talamantes matched her career high with nine kills.

Alba, it was recently discovered, is Bard's all-time leader with over 1,100 digs going into the final weekend of her career. The Raptors will be participating in the Dig Pink Invitational at Oneonta State on Friday and Saturday.