By CAM DONALDSON
Sports Editor
 

Women's Volleyball coach Marsha Graef inched closer to her 400th career win last week with victories over Colby and Gordon to clinch the Bates Round Robin and Win #398 courtesy of the University of New England. Middle hitter Amanda Colby '00 was named the Bates Female Athlete of the Week, becoming the second volleyball player in as many weeks to garner that award, with setter Kate Hagstrom '01 the previous winner.

"Everyone on this team is hard-working, determined and supportive," said Colby. "In terms of talent, we have the total package. Big hitters, strong first-years, experienced leaders...It's all there. I think people are finally starting to realize that we are a varsity sport. This has been a great year in terms of campus support. I was really excited to see all those people come out to watch us last weekend." Colby showed her appreciation by putting on an "Armageddon-esque" show, drilling 30 kills into the gym floor in 46 attempts. Her hitting percentage for the season stands at .534, good enough for second in all of Division III.

At the Round Robin, Bates asserted its home advantage over Colby by scores of 16-14, 15-12 and 15-6. They went on to deflate Gordon (15-5, 15-9, 8-15, 15-4), a team they lost to three times last year. Think they've made any steps in the right direction since last season?

"Everyone worked really hard in training over the summer," said outside hitter Carly Dell'Ova '00, who posted 15 digs last weekend. "Our confidence has improved and the first-years have a lot of drive that we didn't have last year. Other teams are more intimidated by us. We definitely have that winning aura around us."

At UNE last Wednesday, Bates effectively blinded the opposition with their "winning aura," taking the Nor'Easters out of the forecast by a 15-0 score in the first game. Then, with Graef rotating through her entire roster and experimenting with new combinations, Bates captured the win by scores of 15-4 and 15-9, putting the `Cats at a 7-1 mark for the season. Match highlights included Colby's six service no-no's, Hagstrom's 27 assists and Dell'Ova's nine death rays from the outside court.

Looking ahead to this weekend, Bates will have their hands full at the MIT Tournament as Graef looks for Number 400. On Friday, they will get their first taste of a New England Top Five team in Coast Guard Academy. With a win in the opener, Bates will find themselves advancing in an uphill battle against perennial New England powerhouse Wellesley College.

"We've been building up for this weekend since the beginning of the season," said Graef. "We started this season with our level of play higher than what we finished with last year, which tells you how hard the returning players and first-years have worked. Last weekend we took another step up, and this weekend we hope to take a third step."

If the team falters at MIT, Colby College may have the honor of serving as the sacrificial mule for Graef's setting a career mark this Tuesday in Waterville. And on October 2-3, sixteen teams will be converging on this campus for the Bates Invitational. Among the teams scheduled to appear here next weekend, Bates has perhaps the quickest offensive game, powered by several piston-like arms on the mid-court, but the likes of Tufts, Middlebury, Amherst and Williams should test their abilities with some nationally ranked NESCAC competition.