BRUNSWICK, ME- 2^nd seeded volleyball couldn't overcome an early two-set deficit, falling to the 1^st seeded Bowdoin Polar Bears. Wesleyan fell behind 0-2, before winning a back and forth third set that saw the Cardinals down 12-9. They fought hard in an extended fourth set, but couldn't pull it out. Bowdoin (22-4) ultimately took home the championship in four sets (13-25, 8-25, 25-22, 27-29), punching their ticket to the NCAA tournament while competing in front of a rowdy home crowd at Morrell Gymnasium. With the loss Wesleyan finishes 17-6 and will have to wait to see if their name is called to join Bowdoin in the NCAA tournament. Wesleyan received votes to be ranked in the last national poll back on November 2^nd, going 2-1 since then with wins over a ranked Tufts team and Conn. College before falling to another team that was receiving votes in Bowdoin.
 
HIGHLIGHTS:

• A 5-0 run by the number 1 seeded Bowdoin Polar Bears, extended the first set lead to 7-2 and livened up the packed student section in Morrell Gymnasium. The run was capped off by one of Sophia Pahl's eight service aces on the day. After a Wesleyan timeout to try to stop the run, Brina Kuslak '22 ripped an emphatic kill trying to shift the momentum back the Cards way, but it was unsuccessful. The Polar Bears were in control for the entirety of the set, producing seven service aces on their way to a 25-13 set win
• Bowdoin kept rolling through the second set, dominating from start to finish in a 25-8 win to go up 2-0. Wesleyan's Kiana Yuhl '25 came in and immediately made an impact with a service ace to cut the lead to 8-5, Bowdoin took over from there going on a 17-3 run to go up 2-0
• The Cardinals opened up the third set with a lead off of a miscommunication by a pair of Bowdoin teammates. Maddie Kurke '22 came out aggressive with two straight kills to even the score at three. A line judge had his call overturned in favor of Bowdoin, starting a 5-1 run for the Polar Bears to open the lead to 9-6. Kurke responded with a vicious spike that ricocheted off a Bowdin player before hitting the roof and dropping to the ground for the Cards point cutting the Polar Bear lead to two. Kuslak and Kate Long '24 were able to reject Bowdoin's Gray on an attempt, cutting the lead to one. Kuslak and Cori Gray had been going back and forth blocking each other throughout the game
•  Mariko Tanaka '24 had a big block on Sophia Pahl to cap off a Cardinals 3-0 run to lengthen their lead to 19-15. A kill from Long looked like it was going to put the set away at 24-19, but the Polar Bears rallied back forcing Wesleyan to use a timeout as the score went to 24-22. Wesleyan regathered themselves, putting the set away with a Long kill off the set up by Grace Dennis '23.
• Wesleyan rode the momentum into the 4^th set as Tanaka ripped off three straight kills to extend the Cards lead to 4-0. Bella Ahearn '23 responded to a Bowdoin's comeback attempt with two kills herself, one coming off a nice misdirection set by Dennis. Momentum shifted the Polar Bears way later in the set when Pahl capped off a long volley with a kill, as part of a 4-0 run to put them back in front 10-9. With Morrell Gymnasium rocking, Ahearn rattled off two straight kills to once again even the game, this time 13-13.
• In a 4^th set full of runs, Bowdoin went on the biggest of the set extending their lead to 20-15 on a 7-1 run which included two service aces and a pair of kills. It was then Wesleyan's turn to go on a run, scoring five of the next six points and cutting the Bowdoin lead to one. Long had two kills within that stretch, including a cross court spike that gave the Polar Bears no time to react. Tanaka and Ahearn both get denied by Gray on back-to-back attempts, giving Bowdoin a 24-21 lead. Wesleyan returns the favor as Pahl has two of her attempts sent back at her by Long and then Ahearn, completing the comeback 24-24. An Ahearn kill gave the Cardinals a lead 27-26, but Bowdoin rallied off three straight which ended in a Kurke tip that went out of bounds to secure the Bowdin win 29-27.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Bella Ahearn led the way with 12 kills for the Cardinals
• Two more Cardinals were in double digits in kills in Kate Long (11) and Maddie Kurke (10)
• Bowdoin poured in 17 aces, with eight in the 2^nd set compared to four total for Wesleyan
• Grace Dennis put up the most assists for the Cardinals with 39
• The back line got better as the match went on for Wesleyan, Bianca Ortiz '24 led the way with 22 digs