The Bard College women's volleyball team had a hot start but cooled off in a Liberty League match against the William Smith Herons on Saturday, 16-25, 20-25, 14-25.
Nala Roman led the team with seven kills,
Isis Pribble had six, and
Alex Beer had five. Pribble also had a team-high four aces with five digs. Beer tallied a team-high two blocks.
Paola De La Cruz contributed 14 assists and seven digs.
Penelope Joosten Lingo notched eight digs, two aces, three assists, and a kill.
Adrianna Howell chipped in three digs, while
Gia Gomez had a block and a dig.
Bard went ahead 6-1 as three consecutive aces rained down from Pribble. However, the Herons won six of the next seven points to tie it at 7-7. After Bard gained a 10-8 lead, William Smith took over with an 8-1 run, making it 16-11. The teams split the next eight points evenly, and at 20-15, the Herons used a 5-1 run to close it out.
The Herons got a 6-3 advantage early on in the second set, but the Raptors chipped away, winning five of the next eight points. At 9-8 Herons, the home team surged ahead, leading by as much as eight at 19-11. A kill from Vassou sparked a 4-0 Bard run, cutting the deficit in half at 19-15. Bard saved two set points, but William Smith was able to find its footing.
Bard was down 4-0 and 8-2 to begin the third frame, notching back-to-back points to make it 8-4. William Smith won four of the next five points to lead by seven at 12-5. Three straight from the Raptors was a solid response, making it 12-8. William Smith led at 17-8 when Bard answered with four of the next five to make it 18-12. The Raptors fought until the end, with late kills from Beer and Vassou.
Bard plays Union at 7 p.m. for Pride Night on Wednesday.
