AMHERST, MASS. - The Bard College women's volleyball team suffered a 3-0 defeat to Bates College on the first day of the Hall of Fame Invitational Friday evening.

The Bobcats (13-6) picked up a wire-to-wire win in the first set, scoring 12 of the first 14 points and finishing the set strong to win 25-10 and take a 1-0 lead.

The Raptors (6-15, 0-5 LL) attempted to tie up the match in the second, but Bates was once again able to take control early. The Bobcats went on a 7-0 run midway through the set to pull away and pick up a 25-12 decision to go up 2-0 in the match. In the third, Bard once again fell behind early and was never able to close the gap, as the Bobcats won by a score of 25-14 to put the match away with a 3-0 victory.

Junior Mikala L'Hote led the Raptors with five kills, while freshman Macey Spearko ended the night with three kills and six digs. Senior Jewel Smith had seven assists and four digs, and junior Stella Gatti led the team with 12 digs on the night.

The Raptors return to action Saturday, Oct. 19, when they continue the Hall of Fame Invitational with two matches. They start off the day with an 11:00 a.m. match against Bridgewater State University, followed by a meeting with Colby College at 1:00 p.m.