Johnson, VT — The Thomas College Women's Volleyball team opened North Atlantic Conference (NAC) play by splitting a pair of five-set matches against the Vermont State University Johnson Badgers on Saturday. The Terriers rallied from a 2-1 deficit to claim the opener before falling just two points shy of a doubleheader sweep. Thomas earned its first conference victory of the season with a 3-2 win in match one (26-24, 22-25, 19-25, 25-17, 15-12) before VTSU-Johnson responded with a 3-2 victory in match two (25-21, 15-25, 15-25, 25-18, 16-14).
How It Happened:
Match One: Thomas 3, VTSU Johnson 2
- Trailing 3-0 early, the Terriers responded with a 13-1 run to turn the deficit into a 13-4 lead behind the serving of Camille Gibson and strong net play from Addison Lebel.
- Thomas maintained control through the middle stages of the set, extending the advantage to 21-13 as Lebel, Lindsay Pool, and Jordan Child provided key offensive points.
- VTSU-Johnson rallied all the way back to take a 24-23 lead, but Natalie Roy answered with a kill to tie the set before consecutive Badger attack errors secured a 26-24 victory.
- In set two, The Terriers built a 15-12 advantage midway through the set behind contributions from Lebel and Mady Normand.
- VTSU-Johnson answered with a 10-2 run to transform a three-point deficit into a 24-19 lead.
- Thomas fought back with three straight points, highlighted by a Pool service ace and a Lebel kill, but the Badgers held on for a 25-22 win.
- In the third set, VTSU-Johnson seized momentum early, racing out to a 10-5 lead and forcing Thomas to play from behind.
- The Terriers chipped away at the deficit behind points from Pool, Jordan Child, and Lebel to stay within striking distance.
- The Badgers closed the frame on a late run to earn a 25-19 victory and take a 2-1 match lead.
- Facing elimination in set four, Thomas stormed out to a 10-4 advantage behind kills from Roy, Pool, and Lebel.
- The Terriers continued to extend the lead throughout the set, pushing the margin to 17-8 with strong serving and defensive play.
- Thomas built a commanding 24-13 lead before closing out a 25-17 victory to force a decisive fifth set.
- The Terriers grabbed control early in the fifth set, using kills from Pool and Lebel to build a 6-2 lead.
- Thomas maintained its advantage through the middle portion of the set, keeping the Badgers from putting together an extended run.
- Late points from the Addison Lebel helped secure a 15-12 victory and complete the comeback.
Inside the Stats:
Match Two: VTSU-Johnson 3, Thomas 2
- In the opening set of the second match Thomas raced out to a 7-2 lead behind early kills from Pool and Haley Vickery.
- VTSU-Johnson gradually erased the deficit and eventually turned a 15-15 tie into a late advantage.
- Kills from Pool and Roy kept Thomas within reach, but the Badgers finished the set with a 25-21 victory.
- After starting set number two with a 4-2 advantage, the Terriers exploded on an 8-1 run behind a dominant serving stretch from Pool to build a 12-3 lead.
- Thomas continued to pull away as Vickery recorded four service aces during a six-point run that extended the lead to 20-4.
- Lebel, Roy, and Vickery supplied the offense down the stretch as the Terriers cruised to a 25-15 victory.
- In the third set, A close 5-5 start quickly turned in Thomas' favor as the Terriers used an 11-1 run to take a commanding 16-6 lead.
- Savannah Lopez sparked the surge from the service line while Jordan Child, Roy, and Pool delivered key kills throughout the run.
- Thomas never allowed the Badgers back into the set, securing another 25-15 victory and moving one set away from a sweep.
- The fourth set saw VTSU-Johnson take control early and steadily built separation behind a balanced offensive attack.
- The Terriers stayed within striking distance through the middle portion of the set thanks to points from Roy, Pool, and Lebel.
- The Badgers finished strong, recording 16 kills in the frame to claim a 25-18 victory and force a deciding fifth set.
- In the fifth and final set The two teams traded points throughout the opening portion of the set as neither side could gain significant separation.
- Thomas held a 13-10 advantage behind service aces from Pool and Lopez along with key kills from Roy and Lebel.
- VTSU-Johnson rallied late to tie the score and narrowly escaped with a 16-14 victory in the deciding set.
Inside the Stats:
What's Next:
- The Terriers will travel to Boston, Massachusetts, on Thursday, October 15, for a non-conference matchup against Fisher College. Match is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
