The Bard women's volleyball team played the Sarah Lawrence Gryphons in a tightly contested match on Thursday night.

Becca Wintjen collected seven kills, eight digs, and six assists, along with two aces and a block. Carmen Merrick had seven kills on .308 hitting, adding a match-high three blocks. Annika Flittie also contributed seven kills, a match-high four aces, and eight digs. Ella Small led the match with 15 digs and tied a career-high with her six assists. Small has now recorded double-digit digs in nine straight matches, going back to last season.    

Paola De La Cruz tallied a team-high 10 assists, contributing three digs and a kill. Fernanda Julian recorded a career-high 10 digs, six assists, and two aces. Nyla Lawrence put up four kills, three digs, and a block. Ava Rhinehart showcased her well-rounded play with a career-high four kills, seven digs, an assist, and her first career block.

Narrow margins decided the first set, with just three points separating the two teams. The Gryphons held the edge in kills 11-10 and aces 4-2, while the Raptors led the block category 2-0 and had one less service error. With Bard down 7-9, Sarah Lawrence used three kills from Nikolet Vataj to go on a 6-0 run. That key stretch was nearly neutralized by a 6-1 Raptor run that included saving four set points, but Vataj finished the set with a Gryphon kill.

Sarah Lawrence had a small 4-1 run early in the second stanza, gaining a four-point lead at 10-6. Bard tied it up at 10-10, getting two aces from Julian. Six straight points went the Gryphons' way afterwards, forcing the Raptors on their heels. Wintjen led the charge back with two kills during a 5-1 Bard run. The Gryphons had a 21-17 edge when Lawrence, Merrick, and Flittie all sent down kills and Small capped it off with an ace to tie it at 21-21. There would be four more ties, but the frame swung Sarah Lawrence's way.

Merrick looked to send a message, powering down two kills to start the third. A large Bard run came at 11-14 Sarah Lawrence, as the Raptors won seven of the next eight points to take a three-point lead. It didn't last long, as the Gryphons had a 5-1 run. Sarah Lawrence took four straight points to bring up four match points at 24-20. Bard saved two of them with kills, but Sarah Lawrence proved unflappable while closing it out.

Bard hosts SUNY Poly and Emmanuel on Saturday for a tri-match starting at 11 a.m.