Box Score Hamitlon College's Kate Carman '24 hammered 19 kills in her collegiate debut and the Continentals outlasted the Salve Regina University Seahwaks in five sets at the 2021 Babson College Invitational Tournament on Friday night.

The set scores were 25-14, 20-25, 25-22, 23-25, 16-14 as Hamilton prevailed in its season opener. Salve Regina, which led 10-6 in the fifth set, dropped to 0-2.

The Continentals return to Staake Gymnasium on Saturday, Sept. 11 to take on nationally ranked No. 23 Babson at 11 a.m., followed by Hamilton's tournament finale against Northern Vermont University-Lyndon.

Drew Stimson '25 chipped in nine kills and Summer McClintic '24 added eight and two aces for the Continentals. Melissa Morelli '24 handed out 37 assists and was credited with 13 digs. Chiara Morley-McLaughlin '24 led the defense at the net with four blocks and Carman had three. Deirdre Corrigan '23 came up with a dozen digs and Cece Nourie '25 contributed 10.

Nicole Karabaich guided the Seahawks with 19 kills and added 10 digs. Madison Lee also boasted a double-double with 13 kills and 17 digs. Kate Murphy served four aces, Brighton Solheim had four blocks and Katelyn O'Brien dished out 40 assists. Salve Regina used a high-risk, high-reward strategy with its serving as they finished with 11 aces and 15 service errors.

The Seahawks turned a 5-3 deficit into a 9-5 advantage with six straight points in the fifth set. Hamilton didn't retake the lead until a solo block by Morley-McLaughlin made it 13-12. A kill by Carman put the Continentals up 14-13, and block assists for Morley-McLaughlin and Jane Fanning '22 and another Salve Regina attack error ended the match.

Hamilton went ahead for good in the first set at 9-5 with four consecutive points and put the Seahawks away with a 7-0 run that made it 22-11 late in the set. A four-point spurt put the Continentals in front 10-6 en route to the three-point win in the third set.

Hamilton seemed like it would close out Salve Regina in the fourth set when the Continentals led 15-10. The Seahawks clawed their way back into it with a 5-0 run that turned a 19-16 Hamilton lead into a 21-19 advantage for Salve Regina. The Continentals got within a point three times before the set ended on a Hamilton service error.