WENHAM, Mass. - The Bard College women's volleyball team lost to New England College, 3-1, on the first day of the Gordon Invitational on Friday evening.

Set scores for the Pilgrims were 27-25, 25-27, 25-16 and 25-14.

The match was tied after two sets. Sophomore Ryan Lum led Bard with eight kills, 16 digs and two aces. Anna Skamser added seven kills and two blocks, while Adi David led the team with 26 assists.

"Tonight's match against NEC provided us with some new challenges and experiences that will serve us well as we progress through our season," Bard coach Stefanie Carrington said. "We struggled to find our footing through the middle of the match and, often, inexperienced teams have a hard time regaining stability in that sort of situation.

"Fortunately, our young squad was led by the senior leadership of Morenike Fabiyi, who really helped us get back on course and mount a comeback in the fourth set," Carrington continued. "Even though we weren't able to to turn it into a win, that experience of facing adversity and coming out stronger on the other side will benefit us later in the Liberty League portion of our schedule."

Puja Clements had 14 digs and three aces; Laurel Edwards added four kills and 14 digs.

"I was really impressed with Ryan Lum and her ability to see the game, find multiple ways to score, and her relentless defense," Carrington said. "She was an all-around star tonight and played with maturity well beyond her years. Emily Peck also made an impact, coming  in as a designated server and putting pressure on the other team with her strategic and aggressive serving."

Bard plays two more matches at the invitational on Saturday, taking on MIT at 11 a.m., and host Gordon at 1.