BRYN MAWR, Pa. - With the Bryn Mawr campus sitting mostly quiet for the start of fall break, the Owls volleyball squad was still rowdy and in action at home earlier Saturday afternoon. Bryn Mawr played host to Centennial Conference foe Dickinson College for a midday tilt, with both sides looking for a key league win to boost their standing. Despite a sloppy opening set that gave the visitors a quick lead in the match, Bryn Mawr came roaring back in the second and third sets with tremendous effort. However, it was not enough to surpass the scoring and defense of the Red Devils, who racked up 40 kills over three sets to take a 3-0 win in the match. Bryn Mawr got six kills apiece from Caroline Cosby and Camille Baechler to lead the way, while Dickinson's Norma Jean Park led all players with 11 kills on the day.

The opening set started off in relatively normal fashion, with kills from Baechler and Sarah Whitten keeping Bryn Mawr (2-12, 0-6 CC) close early at 3-2. However, Dickinson (9-9, 2-3 CC) ran off a five-point run to get out to an 8-2 lead, and they never really looked back. A four-point run from the Owls, thanks to four Red Devils errors, got the home side back within two points, but Dickinson raced off again to a 14-6 lead. Bryn Mawr extinguished both of their timeouts on the Red Devils run, and that helped the Owls close back to within 18-10. Still, the visitors were undeterred, finishing the set on a seven-point run to ice away the first frame in 25-10 fashion.

The next two sets were much more competitive for both sides, as the Owls regrouped well from the early troubles to give Dickinson fits in the second set. Bryn Mawr started out strong in the frame, with two more kills from Baechler helping the hosts get out to a 6-5 lead in the set. A bit later, a three-point run keyed by a kill and an ace from Whitten got Bryn Mawr tied back up with Dickinson at 9-9. The Red Devils would pull ahead to an 18-12 lead soon after, but the Owls kept battling hard to stay in the frame. Another kill from Whitten helped Bryn Mawr draw back as close as 20-16. Dickinson was able to get to set point, but a kill from Cosby got the serve back for the Owls. Kills from Baechler and Sienna Burnett followed as Bryn Mawr continued to stave off consecutive set points, but Dickinson was finally able to get the side out and close out the set by a 25-21 score.

Bryn Mawr continued to press hard in the third frame as well, with a strong run midway through the set helping their cause. Cosby posted three more kills in that stretch while Baechler and Burnett added on the attack as well, getting Bryn Mawr back level with the visitors at 12-12. However, that would be as close as the Owls could get it, as Dickinson would finish the set on a 13-5 run to win 25-17 and claim the 3-0 victory on the day.

The Owls will now get to enjoy a small bit of fall break themselves before getting back in action late next week. Bryn Mawr will take a pause from Centennial Conference play and travel to Gwynedd Mercy on Thursday the 13th. The Owls have a good track record against the Griffins, with a 9-6 advantage over them in series history between the two programs. They'll look to expand that next week when the two teams face off at 7:00 PM at Gwynedd Mercy.