Box Score 1 SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Skidmore College women's volleyball team swept Westfield State 3-0 before host Springfield handed the Thoroughbreds their first loss of the season, 3-1, Saturday to close the Joseph B. Dearing Volleyball Classic. Skidmore finished the tournament 2-1 and stands at 3-1 overall.
 
MATCH 1 – Skidmore 3, Westfield State 0

• Skidmore rolled to a 25-16, 25-14, 25-17 sweep behind a balanced attack that hit .305 for the match. The Thoroughbreds finished with 37 kills, 11 service aces and nine blocks while holding Westfield State to a .029 hitting percentage.
• Natalie Pedersen led the attack with 11 kills on .348 hitting. Chloe Heitman, who was later selected to the All-Tournament Team, put down nine kills without an error on 13 swings for a .692 hitting percentage while adding three aces and six digs. Cece Kilroy had five kills, hit .400 and delivered a match-high four aces.
• Catriona Hoelperl handed out 26 assists, while Samantha McCloskey added 10. Marlowe McIntyre paced the defense with 10 digs. Oia Hughes finished with five blocks, including one solo and four block assists.
• The Thoroughbreds seized control of the opening set with seven consecutive points that stretched a 4-1 lead to 11-1. Heitman served the final six points of the run and recorded three aces during the burst.
• Skidmore jumped out to another comfortable advantage in the second, opening a 12-3 lead on the way to a 25-14 victory. The Thoroughbreds hit .417 in the frame with 12 kills and just two attack errors.
• Westfield State stayed even through a 9-9 tie in the third before Kilroy helped Skidmore rattle off five straight points to take a 14-9 lead. The Thoroughbreds remained in front the rest of the way to complete the sweep.

 
MATCH 2 – Springfield 3, Skidmore 1

• Springfield prevailed 25-21, 25-15, 20-25, 25-18. The Pride held Skidmore to a .066 hitting percentage and produced advantages of 17-8 in service aces and 11-6 in blocks.
• Heitman led Skidmore with 11 kills, while Pedersen finished with nine and Katy O'Connell added eight. McIntyre had 10 digs and three aces, and Athena Braverman contributed nine digs.
• Skidmore erased a 13-10 deficit in the first with six consecutive points to grab a 16-13 lead. The Thoroughbreds were still ahead 18-17 before Springfield scored eight of the final 11 points to take the set, 25-21.
• The teams were tied at 8 in the second when the Pride rattled off six straight points to take command. Springfield went on to win the frame 25-15 and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
• Skidmore responded emphatically in the third. With the score tied at 3, the Thoroughbreds scored eight unanswered points to surge ahead 11-3. Springfield later cut the margin to 21-17, but Skidmore closed out the 25-20 win to extend the match.
• Springfield broke a 4-4 tie with four straight points in the fourth. Skidmore pulled back within one at 9-8, but the Pride answered with three consecutive points and stayed in front the rest of the way.

 
2026 Joseph B. Dearing Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Team
#16 Jodi Saelua - Springfield College - MVP
#5 Zakiya Hiatt - Springfield College
#10 Tori Colosimo - Springfield College
#9 Chloe Heitman - Skidmore
#22 Marina Miller - Keene State 
#12 Lauren Carnes - Westfield State
 
UP NEXT: Skidmore travels to Williams on Tuesday, Sept. 8 for a 6:30 p.m. match in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The Thoroughbreds will then host the Skidmore Classic next weekend.