The Cardinal volleyball team had another great weekend defeating Little Three rival Williams on Friday in five sets, before defeating Hamilton on Saturday and then falling to Middlebury in the second match of the day. After going 0-6 to start the season, the Cards have won eight of their last 12 matches and are now just two matches under .500.

On Friday, The Cardinals faced off against the Ephs, who were undefeated in NESCAC play going into the match and had already swept Wesleyan at the MIT Invitational two weeks ago. The Cards came out strong, dictating the pace of the match and making a strong statement in the first set, taking the frame 26-24. The second set did not go the Redbirds’ way, and the Ephs evened the match with a 25-16 victory. In the third, the team found another spark, which propelled them to a 25-18 win and 2-1 lead. The fourth set was similar to the second, and the Ephs stepped up their game to take the frame 25-21. The fifth and deciding set was a thriller, with each team struggling+ for every point. With Wesleyan up 15-14, sophomore Alissa Santucci spiked the ball for the kill and victory, and Wesleyan completed the upset 3-2.

On Saturday, Wesleyan took on Hamilton College and, riding high from the previous night’s victory, defeated the Continentals in three sets. The first set was tight, but Wesleyan was not to be denied, and the Cards took it 25-23. The second and the third were more of the same, and the Cards cruised to a 25-17 victory in the second and a 25-20 victory in the third to seal the sweep 3-0.

In the second match of the day, the Cards took on the 11-4 Middlebury Panthers in a thrilling five-set match. The team came out strong, and Middlebury wasn’t going to underestimate Wes after the upset of Williams. The Panthers took the first set 25-23. In the second, the Cards evened the match by taking the set 25-22.  The third went similarly to the first, and the Panthers narrowly captured the frame 25-23. Wesleyan rallied from behind again, and took the fourth 25-21 to force a fifth and deciding set. Despite inspired play by the Cards, the Panthers proved to be too much, and they narrowly captured the set 15-12 for the 3-2 win

There were many individual highlights on both the offensive and defensive fronts. Leading the offense on the weekend was Ashley Farrow ’10, who racked up 30 kills against Williams and Middlebury (offensive stats from the Hamilton match are not yet available). Close behind her was Casey Reed ’12 with 29 kills in the two contests, including a game-high 17 against Williams on Friday. Lesley Faulkner ‘11 continued her recent hot streak, racking up 27 kills in the two matches. Santucci, who had the critical kill against Williams, had a terrific all-around performance, racking up 23 kills and 28 digs in the two matches. Senior co-captain Ellie Healy was a rock, racking up 103 assists and 37 digs in the two matches. Leading the defensive efforts for the Cards was Ruby Hernandez ’11, who had 60 digs on the weekend.

The team returns to action this Friday with a road NESCAC match against Trinity. On Saturday, Wesleyan will have an opportunity to capture the Little Three crown in a match against Amherst. If Amherst wins, the title will be split between Wesleyan, Williams, and Amherst for the second straight year; a win would give Wesleyan is first outright Little Three title since 1992.