The Hamilton College Continentals lost to Bowdoin College and Ithaca College on Saturday afternoon inside Hamilton's Margaret Bundy Scott Field House.

Hamilton (5-5, 1-3 NESCAC) lost in three sets against Bowdoin in the early afternoon match and captured one set in the late afternoon match against Ithaca but lost 3-1.

Hamilton vs. Bowdoin

The set scores were 25-21, 25-15 and 25-23. Hamilton posted a .173 hitting percentage with 31 kills and 12 errors in 110 attempts. Bowdoin finished with a .231 hitting percentage with 44 kills and 17 errors in 117 attempts. The Continentals recorded seven blocks to the Polar Bears' one.

Kate Carman '24 led Hamilton with 12 kills and three blocks, and Drew Stimson '25 added seven kills and three blocks. Melissa Morelli '24 handed out 21 assists and had eight digs. Deirdre Corrigan '23 had eight digs and five kills. Hanna Cillo '24 and Summer McClintic '24 had seven digs apiece and Chiara Morley-McLaughlin '24 had three block assists.

Hamilton came from behind early and battled to hold a 19-17 lead in the first set until Bowdoin ended the set with a pair of four-point rallies. Bowdoin (7-3, 4-1 NESCAC) carried the momentum from the first set into the second, taking an early 7-2 lead and extending it to 10 points by the end.

The Polar Bears started off the third set with five straight points and were up 23-15 before Hamilton went on a five-point spree and closed the gap. After a Bowdoin kill, the Continentals pulled within one point on a Carman kill, an ace by Morelli and a solo block by Carman. A kill by the Polar Bears on the next serve ended the match.
 
Hamilton vs. Ithaca

The set scores were 26-24, 18-25, 25-20 and 25-11. Hamilton posted a .164 hitting percentage with 44 kills and 23 errors in 128 attempts. Ithaca (8-8) finished with a .291 hitting percentage on 54 kills and 17 errors in 127 attempts. The Bombers boasted 32 kills and just three attack errors in the final two sets. 

Carman led Hamilton with 15 kills. Stimson had eight kills and added a season-high six blocks. Jane Fanning '22 chipped in eight kills and three blocks and Corrigan added eight kills and three aces. Morelli passed out 39 assists, Cece Nourie '25 recorded 13 digs and McClintic was credited with nine.

Ithaca grabbed an 8-3 lead in the first set but never had more than a five-point advantage. Hamilton finally tied the set at 24-24 on two attack errors and a ball-handling error by the Bombers. A solo block by Ithaca and an attack error by the Continentals gave the Bombers the set.

The Continentals started the second set with three consecutive points but Ithaca went on a five-point rally. Hamilton came back and tied it and then went on a four-point spree for a 9-6 advantage they held on to the rest of the set.

Neither team led by more than four points early in the third set until Ithaca went on a 6-1 run and took a 17-10 cushion. Hamilton didn't get closer than three points (22-19) after that.

The Continentals travel to Lewiston, Maine, for a NESCAC match against Bates College at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 8.