HARTFORD, CT. -- Senior
Caroline Tilton had 18 kills for the second consecutive match Friday, helping the Amherst College volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-14 24-26, 25-23, 25-15) over conference foe Trinity at the Oosting Gymnasium.
Amherst improved to 9-3 overall, 5-1 in the NESCAC while the Bantams slipped to 6-8 overall, 2-3 in the conference.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:
* The Mammoths already led 8-4 when they reeled off eight consecutive points in the opening set for a commanding 16-4 advantage. Tilton served the final seven points of the run, and had three service aces in the span of four serves in that span. A block from the duo of
Charlotte Rasmussen and
Carly Cooper gained another point. Rasmussen followed with a kills and Tilton punctuated the run with another kill for the 12-point lead.
* After dropping a hard-fought second set, 26-24, Amherst bounced right back for a 25-23 wn in the critical third set. Once again the Mammthos jumped out to an 8-4 lead but not longer after it was 8-8 and the gap between the two teams was never more than five points the rest of the way.
Kaili Maurice gave Amherst a late 21-16 lead with a kill. The Bantams fought back to 22-20 before a key point off a kill by
Alexandra Trofort. Leading 23-21, setter
Carly Cooper set up
Kinsey Cronin who finished with a kill to put the Mammoths on the precipice of a win. Up 24-23, Cooper than set up
Ava O'Connor, who put the exclamation point on the win with a kill and a 2-1 lead.
* The fourth and final set was a back-and-forth affair until the Mammoths took over late. Leading 15-14, Amherst went on a 10-1 run to clinch the match victory. Up by one, Maurice polished off a point with a kill off an assist from
Jacqueline Kortekaas. Back-to-back Tilton kills made it an 18-14 lead. Cronin and Trofort followed with kills and then a service ace from Cooper made it 21-14. Another Cronin kill preceded a Cooper block, and the junior than had a service ace for a 24-14 lead.
BY THE NUMBERS:
* The Mammoths had 62 kills in the four sets and hit a sizzling .245 collectively in the win. The Mammoths had eight blocks in the win, three from Rasmussen.
Lizzie Papalia led the team with 23 digs. Cooper notched 42 assists, two kills, two aces and two blocks to go along with 10 digs. O'Connor had five kills and 12 digs.
