FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BATES VOLLEYBALL EARNS ECAC TOURNAMENT BERTH

LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates College volleyball team will return to the postseason for the first time since 1995, having earned the third seed in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III East region tournament. The Bobcats (22-12) will face sixth-seed Trinity College (18-15) Friday, Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. at Tufts University in Medford, Mass.

The Bobcats have won a pair of tournaments this year, the season-opening Trinity Invitational and the State of Maine Championship. Bates has faced the Bantams head-to-head three times this season, winning 3-0 at the Trinity Invitational and at the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Round Robin at Tufts Oct. 17. In the most recent meeting between the two teams, Trinity won, 3-1, at the NESCAC championship at Colby College Nov. 7.

The Bobcats are coached by Marsha Graef, who is in her 14th and final season as Bates' head volleyball coach. Earlier this season, she picked up her 400th career win, making her the fourth coach in New England Division III volleyball history to reach that milestone. Her .741 winning percentage (413-144) is tops among New England Division III coaches with at least five years coaching.

The Bobcats also feature a pair of first-team All-NESCAC performers in sophomore setter Kate Hagstrom of Portola, Calif., and junior middle hitter Amanda Colby of Willimantic, Conn. Hagstrom has set a school record with 125 service aces this season, while Colby's hitting percentage of .416 was fifth in the nation in the most recent NCAA Division III statistical report.

In other ECAC first-round match-ups, No. 1 Tufts plays host to No. 8 Gordon College; No. 2 Wheaton College faces No. 7 Western Connecticut State University; and No. 4 Geneseo State University takes on No. 5 Smith College.