Volleyball team sweeps Maine Maritime
September 25, 2009

LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates College volleyball team swept Maine Maritime Academy 3-0 to start off Homecoming Weekend in a non-league match-up on Friday evening in Alumni Gymnasium.

The Bobcats (6-2) were dominant, winning three straight sets (25-15, 25-4 and 25-15) over the Mariners (8-2), who had their five-match win streak snapped.

Bates sophomore Olivia Schow (Costa Mesa, Calif.) led the Bobcats with six service aces and eight kills. Sophomore Grace Haessler (Portland, Ore.) set her teammates up with 25 assists and provided seven digs. Senior Brit Johnston (Winter Park, Colo.) recorded seven digs and four aces. First-year Nicole Russell (Boca Raton, Fla.) chipped in with nine digs and two aces. Other key contributers to the Bobcats' effort included senior Tess Dokus (Fairport, N.Y.) with seven kills and first-year Eliza Pyne (Atherton, Calif.) with six kills and three blocks.

Sophomore Chelsea Ward (Homer, Alaska) led the Mariners with eight digs and eight kills. Sophomore Laren Sakahara (Bellevue, Wash.) recorded eight digs. Sophomore Kayley Rodriguez (Quincy, Ill.) served up three aces.

Bates will be back in action on Saturday with another Homecoming match against UMaine-Farmington at 11 a.m. at Alumni Gynasium.

Six of the 10 members of the Bates 1989 volleyball team that went 36-0 will be honored at the match, along with the team's coach, Assistant Director of Athletics Marsha Graef. The team will also be recognized at halftime of the Bates-Trinity football game on Saturday afternoon

BATES STATS: Bates 3, Maine Maritime 0