Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 The Bard women's volleyball team completed its opening road trip against Oswego State, Elmira, and Moravian. The Raptors dropped Friday's contest against Oswego State. On Saturday, Bard won against Elmira for the first time in program history, while Moravian took the win in the second match of the day.

In match one, the Raptors went up 3-0 in the first set before the Lakers had an 8-0 run. At 8-21, Bard won four straight points, but Oswego State answered with four points in a row to take the set. Set two went the Lakers' way as well, as Oswego State's 11-point cushion from its 16-5 start was too much to overcome. However, the Raptors made it closer and got within six at 18-24. A major factor in the set was the Lakers' 12 kills to the Raptors' seven.

The third set was as tight as a set can get, with the largest lead being four. At 12-8 with the Lakers leading, the Raptors put their foot on the gas, going on an 8-2 run. The set was tied back up at 17-17 before Bard edged out in front 19-17 with back-to-back points. Oswego State tied it back up at 19-19, then again at 20-20, and a final time at 22-22. This time, the Raptors had the final word, taking the final three points and the third set. Bard won the kill category, 11-9.

Bard refused to back down, holding a narrow 9-8 lead early in the fourth. The Lakers responded with a 6-2 run that forced a Bard timeout, then extended their surge to take a 20-14 advantage, prompting the Raptors to call their second timeout. Oswego State only needed one match point to claim victory, 25-16.

Alex Beer led the Raptors in kills in her first collegiate match, with nine. She added two blocks and three digs. Annika Flittie contributed seven kills, six digs, and an ace. Ella Small had a team-high 14 digs and four aces, while Ava Rhinehart reached ten digs in her first match. Becca Wintjen had 26 assists, eight digs, and three aces. Fernanda Julian also debuted, tallying six digs and two aces.

Against Elmira, the Raptors took the first two sets. They had 22 kills to Elmira's 15 during that stretch. A 14-6 start in set one was key, and a 11-5 lead to begin set two created enough breathing room for Bard. Beer had eight kills in the first two sets to propel the Raptors.

The Soaring Eagles made some ground in the third set, as they held a three-point lead at 18-15. Bard swung the momentum in its favor with a 5-0 spurt to take the lead. The Raptors could taste the sweep as Lawrence's back-to-back kills made it 23-20. However, Elmira tied it up at 23-23 before the teams alternated points to extend the set. The Soaring Eagles closed out the third set with three straight points to keep their hopes alive. 

The fourth set also went Elmira's way. Down 9-16, Bard clawed back in the set with a 6-1 run, but it wasn't enough. Julian started the fifth set with back-to-back aces, which allowed the Raptors to catch their breath. The lead changed hands as Elmira had a 5-4 advantage. Bard regained the lead and started to pull away. Small hit an ace to make it 10-7, forcing an Elmira timeout. At 14-10, the Raptors stepped over the finish line, taking the third match point to win the lengthy battle.

Lawrence had 13 kills while hitting .450, and Beer followed her in second with a career-high 11. Julian had a career-high six aces and eight digs, while Wintjen had five aces, 32 assists, and eight digs. Merrick had a team-high four blocks, adding five kills. Small led the Raptors with 14 digs. 

Morgan Sica, Elmira's second-leading blocker last season, was held without a block against the Raptors' attackers.

The Raptors will host Farmingdale for their home opener on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

The Moravian match stats are still yet to come.