Molly Harrison recorded a Middlebury single-match record of 26 kills as the Panthers erased a two-set deficit to beat Union 3-2 on Sept. 30 in Schenectady, New York.
The senior also collected 14 digs for her 50th career double-double. Her kill total surpassed the school record of 25 she had set against Wesleyan on Oct. 19, 2024.
Middlebury lost the first two sets 25-18 and 25-19 before winning the next two by identical 25-18 scores. The deciding set ended 16-14, lifting the Panthers to 12-2 overall. Union fell to 8-6.
The fifth set included a second comeback within the match. Middlebury built leads of 8-4 and 14-10, but Union won four consecutive points to tie the score. Two Union attacking errors then ended the match.
Middlebury finished with 62 kills to Union's 53, while the teams combined for 168 digs. Harrison took 65 swings and hit .277. Natalie Stanford added 13 kills and seven blocks, giving the Panthers a second scorer in double figures.
Annabella Rando led Middlebury's back row with 31 digs, her first match reaching 30 this season. Chloe Cunniffe finished with 28 assists and 16 digs, and Campbell Bartley contributed 20 assists.
For Union, Kayla Martinez Cartagena led with 12 kills, and Erin Stevens added 11. Allie Kronenberg had 40 assists and 21 digs. Union served 10 aces to Middlebury's four, but the Panthers finished with a 12-9 advantage in blocks.
The nonconference match was played at Viniar Athletic Center, where the listed attendance was 87. Middlebury's next two contests return the team to Pepin Gymnasium and NESCAC play: Bates at 7 p.m. on Oct. 2 and Tufts at 2 p.m. on Oct. 3.
Middlebury had begun its comeback with a 9-1 lead in the third set. In the fourth, the teams were tied at 15 before consecutive kills by Harrison and McCormack helped the Panthers pull ahead. Middlebury enters the home conference stretch with a 2-1 NESCAC record.
Sources:
https://athletics.middlebury.edu/boxscore.aspx?id=16266&path=wvball
https://athletics.middlebury.edu/sports/womens-volleyball/schedule/2026?grid=true