Women’s volleyball suffered three tough league losses this past week, landing them with a 1-4 record in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). The Mules came up short against Bates College on Tuesday night before falling to Connecticut College on Friday and Tufts University on Saturday in a league competition hosted by NESCAC rival Bowdoin College.

The Mules, who beat Bates 3-1 at home earlier this season, failed to pull off an away win against their league rivals on Sept. 27. The Mules lost the first set 25-14 and then fell 25-19 and 25-17 to the Bobcats. Still, the determined Mules played hard and well, with four kills a piece from senior Caitlin Burchill, junior Maggie Taylor and sophomore Lily Kramlich-Taylor.

Sophomore Kate Pleasants led the defense with 12 digs.

On Friday, Sept. 30, the Mules traveled to Brunswick, Maine to play Connecticut College at Bowdoin. Colby lost 3-0 with set scores of 25-17, 26-24 and 25-12.

Still, Taylor, Kramlich-Taylor and senior captain Mackie Sewall managed to shine on offense with nine kills each.

Burchill had a strong game both offensively and defensively with eight kills and 15 digs.

Hoping to recover from Friday’s loss, the Mules headed back to Bowdoin on Saturday to play Tufts.

In perhaps the team’s greatest offensive struggle so far this season, the Mules fell 3-0 to the Polar Bears with set scores of 25-15, 25-13, 25-19.

Pleasants had another strong match, finishing with 19 assists, eight digs and three aces. Defensive star junior Emily Varni had 11 digs on defense, and Kramlich-Taylor and sophomore Kate Bellerose had six kills each on offense.

After the weekend’s tough losses, the Mules sport a 5-7 overall record and are 1-4 in the NESCAC.

Looking ahead, the team will compete for a home victory against Husson University on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m.

This coming weekend, the team will then travel to Williamstown, Mass. for NESCAC matches against Hamilton College and Williams College.