Last week, the Amherst volleyball team split a pair of road conference matches against Conn. College and Wesleyan before besting Stevens Institute of Technology in an out-of-conference affair. They have a current record of 11-4.

The Mammoths entered last Friday’s tilt with the Camels boasting a six-game win streak, but the hosts quickly halted any momentum Amherst carried into the match, winning the first set 25-20.

Amherst quickly bounced back, prevailing in a tightly-contested second set largely thanks to a dominant performance by Emily Kolsky ’20, who notched eight kills in the set.

The remainder of the match proved much easier for the Mammoths, as the team’s margin of victory in each set kept increasing. By the fourth and final set, Conn. College could only muster eight points and Amherst closed the set with a 6-0 run on sophomore Hayes Honea’s service game, giving the Firedogs a 3-1 victory.

The team’s elation from the victory was short-lived as the Mammoths were defeated the following day by Little III rival Wesleyan in straight sets. For the second straight day, Amherst lost the opening set, this time by a score of 25-15.

The Cardinals proved to be much more consistent than the Camels and Amherst couldn’t find any traction in the match. The Firedogs were unable to muster more than 16 points in any of the three sets, and the hosts were never at any real risk of losing.

The lone bright spot for the Mammoths was the continued strong play of Kolsky, who tallied six kills and only three errors, good for a kill percentage of .150.

Amherst had little time to dwell on the defeat, though, as the team had to face Stevens. The first set was closer than any of the three that Amherst played in the Wesleyan match, as it featured five lead changes and saw Amherst come out on top 25-21.

The second set proved to be a let-down for the Ducks, as Amherst used a 13-point run on senior Asha Walker’s service game to close out the game 25-10. However, Stevens roared back in the third set, even managing to take a 23-21 lead.

With the game poised to head to a fourth stanza, Amherst refused to back down and used a four-point run to close out the set and the match.

The Firedogs will finally return home this weekend when they face Tufts and Bowdoin, who currently sit in first and fourth place, respectively, in the NESCAC standings.

Amherst will play the Jumbos on Friday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. and the Polar Bears on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. in Lefrak Gymnasium.