Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – The Bryn Mawr volleyball squad opened play in the 2014 Seven Sisters Championship today with a pair of matches against Vassar and Mount Holyoke. The Owls struggled to a 0-3 loss in the first match against the host Brewers before toppling Mount Holyoke in the second match of the day by a 3-1 score.

In a sign of things to come in the first match, Vassar ran out to a large lead early on in the first set. The hosts won seven of the first eight points of the set to lead 7-1. However, the Owls fought back valiantly to get back in the set, and after going on a run of winning eight out of ten points themselves, the Black and White held a 14-12 lead in the frame. Vassar reasserted themselves in the set by making a charge back up the scoreboard, ultimately taking a 24-19 lead. Bryn Mawr managed to regroup once more, winning three straight points while facing set point. Noemi Moreno blasted a kill to win the first of those three points before a Vassar ball handling error handed Bryn Mawr another critical point. Then, an attack error by the Brewers got the Owls back to 22-24. However, Vassar held firm, winning the last point with their 12th kill of the frame to take the first set.

Bryn Mawr struggled mightily in the second set, only registering three total kills and losing the frame by a 25-11 score. However, the Owls were a lot more competitive in the third set. The team ran out to a 5-4 lead in the frame thanks to early kills from Avary Taylor and Rachel Ofili. Vassar eventually came back to take a 21-14 lead in the set, but Bryn Mawr once again made a strong charge to try and get back in the match. Six straight errors from the Brewers made it a 21-20 game in favor of the hosts. However, Vassar hung on by the slimmest of margins, winning the final two points on kills by Marie Pitre to take the first match by a 3-0 score. Ofili led Bryn Mawr in the first match with eight kills, while Sarah Gates tallied five and Moreno added another four.

The Owls had a long break between matches, and perhaps that helped head coach Nicole Reiley get her squad back on track for their second contest of the day. Bryn Mawr played a much more competitive first set in their second match, and although they lost that first frame 25-22, they were in a much better state competitively for the rest of the match. In the second set, the Owls won the first six points, thanks to numerous kills by Ofili and Ellen Chiu. Bryn Mawr played so well that they were able to coast home with the set win, with Chiu closing things out with a kill thanks to an assist from Danielle Preziuso. In set three, Mount Holyoke actually held a 15-14 lead, but Bryn Mawr won the next four points to get back ahead, helped by back-to-back aces by Megan Kilmer. Sarah Gates closed out the set for Bryn Mawr with another big kill, giving the Yellow and Black a 2-1 lead headed into the fourth set. With renewed confidence, the Owls continued to control play, with five different players registering kills in the set for Bryn Mawr. The Owls won the final four points to close out the set, with back-to-back kills from Ofili and Chiu handing Bryn Mawr the set by a 25-17 score.

With the results, Bryn Mawr ends day one of the Seven Sisters Championship with a 1-1 record. Vassar and Wellesley both went 2-0 on the day, while Mount Holyoke finished day one with an 0-2 record. Bryn Mawr starts day two of the competition by taking on Wellesley at 9 AM, and will finish off this year's competition by taking on Smith at 11:30 AM. Be sure to continue following the live stats hosted by Vassar to get all your Bryn Mawr volleyball updates this weekend!