ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – The Bard College women's volleyball team tied the bow on their 2024 season at Stevenson Athletic Center on Friday night, toppling the Sarah Lawrence Gryphons in five sets.

Ella Small, Becca Wintjen, LaeAnna Riley, Annika Flittie, and Coral Cook reached the 13-digit mark, showcasing a balanced performance among the Raptors.

The Raptors were down 4-0 early on in the first set but went on a 5-1 run, with two kills from Xenia Vassou and one from Riley. Bard chased down another lead when Riley punctuated a 10-5 run with two kills to knot the set at 16. The Gryphons shifted the balance in their favor as Athena Kasos collected three kills to give the road squad the opening set. Bard and Sarah Lawrence each had nine kills in the first set.

In the second set, both teams competed on each point, resulting in no leads of more than four points. The Raptors' performance in the clutch was the difference in such a close set. From 20-19 Sarah Lawrence, Bard took six of the following nine points. Small had a key dig at 22-22 and Flittie finished the point with a kill, forcing a Sarah Lawrence timeout. The Raptors maintained their composure to even the match at a set apiece.

Riley boomed an attack with the Raptors down set point in the third, 23-24, but the Gryphons won the next two points to put them over the top. Riley and the Raptors got revenge in the fourth, slamming the door shut on the Gryphons with a kill at 24-23 Bard. The Raptors had 16 kills in the fourth to seven errors, hitting .225.

In the final set, the Raptors overcame an early six-point Gryphon lead, returning the score to 9-9. With the narrowest of leads at 13-12, the Raptors pulled out all the stops, running to the bleachers to control the ball. After winning that point, Wintjen served down the line for an ace to seal the match and send the Raptors into a frenzy. The Raptors hit six kills in the final set and 52 in the match, eclipsing their previous season-high kill total against Penn St.-Abington. Their 84 digs, 49 assists, and 71 points were also season highs.

Flittie led the Raptors with a career-high 18 kills. Flittie and Vassou reached five blocks, with Carmen Merrick blocking four of her own. Wintjen had 41 assists, the first time she surpassed 40 in her career. It's the first time a Bard setter has had over 40 assists since September 20th, 2022 when Adi David dished out 43. 

The Raptors finish the campaign with six wins and a 3-8 home record. Cook and Flittie each had over 200 kills, Wintjen had 589 assists, and  Riley and Cook had over 50 aces. Small surpassed Julia Denning for fifth most digs in a season by a Raptor with 385. The duo of Vassou and Merrick combined for over 100 blocks. Vassou's 58-block season sits third all-time, with Merrick right behind in fourth with 57.