HENNIKER, N.H. The New England College volleyball team earned a hard fought five set (25-21, 15-25,22-25, 25-21, 7-15) victory over Bay Path University in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) play on Saturday evening.

With the win, the Pilgrims improve to 11-17 overall with a 5-2 record in the NECC. Bay Path will fall to 7-12 with a 3-5 record in the NECC.

NEC LEADERS
Tihani Ehia (Kaneohe, Hawaii) lead the Pilgrims on both sides of the ball, having a team high 20 kills and a team high 17 digs. She was responsible for 25 points for the Pilgrims. Maggie Dadmun (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) had a team high 23 assists. Kenzie Barron (Clearfield, Utah) finished the contest with 17 assists and 16 digs. The lone Pilgrim senior who was honored pregame, Meghan Six (Manchester, N.H.), finished the contest with 10 digs. Jada Small (Coconut Creek, Fla.) also finished with 10 digs to make four Pilgrims in double digit digs.

BAY PATH LEADERS
Lydia Clifford led the Wildcats offensively as she finished with a game high 21 kills. Lexi Cears had a game high 26 assists. Joanne Nazzario earned a game high 18 digs. The Wildcats also had four members earn double digit digs. Cears finished with 16, Jessica Warren with 14, and Clifford with 10.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Bay Path came out firing as they recorded a 7-0 lead. Five of those points came on Pilgrim attack errors. The Pilgrims would get on the board with two quick points. The Wildcats would tack on three more however and make the score 10-2. The Pilgrims would earn the next five of seven points which gave them a swing in momentum. The swing in momentum would allow the Pilgrims to take the lead at 17-18 and extend it to a two-point lead. Bay Path would come roaring back with a five point run and regain the lead. The teams would trade the final remaining points until the Wildcats closed out the set with a 25-21 victory.

Set two saw the teams trade the first few points back and forth until the Pilgrims opened up the game with a six point run to make the score 3-8. Bay Path would respond with two points of their own before the Pilgrims added another three in-a-row. The Pilgrims would hover around a six-point lead for a couple of points until another six point run to open up a double digit lead. The Wildcats would earn the next eight of 10 points to close the 12-point Pilgrim lead to just six points. The Pilgrims however would not let Bay Path get on the board again as they would record the final four points to close out the set at a 25-15 score.

The third set started similarly as the second set. Each team earned one point a side until the score was 4-4. The Pilgrims would tack on five consecutive points; the Wildcats would respond with four of their own. The Pilgrims then recorded nine of the next 10 points and took a 9-19 lead. Bay Path would close the gap to two as they would record 10 of the next 12 points. What seemed to be an easy two sets to one lead for the Pilgrims, nearly disappeared as Bay Path had fought all the way back to tie the score at 22. The Pilgrims collected themselves and ended the set by earning the final three points.

The fourth set saw Bay Path use a run of three points and another of four points to lead the set early at 9-3. The Pilgrims would rally and tie the contest at 11. The teams would then trade the next 12 points, one at a time, until the score was 17-17. Bay Path would earn three consecutive points to take a 20-17 lead and they would hold the lead through the rest of the set to force a fifth and final set.

The final set saw the Pilgrims earn a 2-8 lead. Bay Path would earn the next three points before the Pilgrims added on a five point run. With the score now being 6-13, the teams would trade a point each until the Pilgrims closed out the set and the match.

WHAT'S NEXT
The Pilgrims have two road matches left in their 2018-19 regular season. First they will head to Eastern Nazarene on Wednesday before the regular season finale on Saturday at Lesley.