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POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (September 14, 2011) – Down by six points twice in the third set, the Vassar College women's volleyball team stormed back to capture an exhilarating final set, and in the process snapped a five-match losing streak against Williams College with a 3-0 sweep Wednesday night at Kenyon Hall.

With a 25-19, 25-22, 26-24 victory over the previously unbeaten Ephs (4-1), the Brewers (6-3) registered their first victory over Williams since October 20, 2002, a 3-1 win. Vassar will try and build on this impressive victory when next hosting New York University on September 21 at 7:00 pm. Williams next travels to Connecticut College on September 16 for a 6:00 pm match.

The Brewers had three players each earn 10 kills, with senior Amy Bavosa, sophomore Jessie Ditmore and freshman Marie Pitre all reaching double digits. Pitre's 10 kills was a new career high. Junior Chloe McGuire had nine kills, but her last kill was her biggest, ending the third set 26-24. The winning point was orchestrated by McGuire herself who made a great lunging dig off a Williams attack attempt in the final rally of the match.

“We were down big and didn't lose our poise,” said head coach Jonathan Penn. “This is the type of volleyball we need to play all the time.”

With Vassar holding a 2-0 lead in the match, Williams pulled ahead by six points twice (17-11 and 18-12) in the third set before the Brewers mounted a frenetic comeback. Williams freshman Raea Rasmussen had three consecutive kills to push the Ephs lead to six points, but the Brewers held firm, however, and with strong defense and an aggressive attack effort, edged ahead 24-23 following a powerful Ditmore kill.

Williams knotted the match at 24-24 following a kill by freshman Claire Miller, setting up a dramatic finish. Bavosa's 10th kill of the contest pushed Vassar ahead 25-24 and on the final rally of the match, McGuire dug a driving attack attempt by Miller into the soft hands of junior setter Hilary Koenigs, who laid up a perfect opportunity for McGuire to end the contest. Koenigs finished with 42 set assists, her fourth straight match with 40 or more set assists.

Vassar stormed in front of Williams in the first set with an impressive 15-8 lead that featured the emerging play of Pitre, who had four of her ten kills in the first set and finished the match with just one error on 18 attack attempts. Vassar pushed its lead to 19-11 on a Williams service error, but the Ephs did climb back into the match momentarily, capitalizing on three straight Vassar miscues to come within 23-18. Kills by Bavosa and Ditmore closed out the set 25-19.

The middle set was tied four times and was the most closely contested. At 20-20, kills by Bavosa and Ditmore and a service ace by Pitre put Vassar ahead 23-20. Bavosa earned Vassar the 25-22 win with a sharply angled kill.

Both teams matched each other in defensive play with Vassar earning 68 digs and Williams with 63. McGuire led all players with 19, with Bavosa and Pitre each chalking up 11, a new career high for Pitre in that category.

Williams saw Miller earn 14 kills. Freshman setter Amanda Schott had 34 set assists and senior libero Aly McKinnon had 15 digs.