WILLIAMSBURG, VA.- Tribe volleyball fell in an extremely close five set match to Delaware Saturday afternoon in Kaplan Arena. No team won a set by more than two points and the marathon contests saw 46 ties and 15 lead changes. 
 
Sydney Taylor had a career afternoon with a 14 kill, 12 dig double-double and Eleanor Stothoff added a double-double with 15 kills and a season-high 10 blocks. Amy Scwhem (24 assists, 11 digs) and Emma Minnick (25 assists, 16 digs) also put out double doubles. 
 
Kaitlyn Ferguson and Taylor Burrell also each provided 12 kills
 
The Tribe held Delaware to under .120 hitting in both the second and third sets in large part to the play of libero Anna Porter who provided 27 digs, and middle blockers Ryann Love and Sabrina Malcolm that had nine and seven blocks respectively. 
 
In the opening frame, Porter had 11 digs while Taylor threw down five kills, but the Blue Hens outlasted the Green and Gold in a 35-33 first set. The Tribe battled back in the second behind four kills from both Taylor and Stothoff in a 26-24 win. 
 
In the third, Malcolm and Stothoff each had three blocks as the Tribe held Delaware to just 11 kills. Despite holding the Blue Hens to a .120 hitting percentage, William & Mary would drop the third 25-23. 
 
Once again the Tribe battled back in the fourth. William & Mary had 16 kills in the wild set that saw 12 ties and five lead changes and would lead to a 25-23 Tribe win to force a decisive fifth. However Delaware would prevail in a tight fifth set 15-13 to earn the victory. 
 
The Tribe and the Blue Hens will meet again Sunday afternoon for a 2:00 p.m. start time. Seniors Kaitlyn Ferguson, Anna Porter, and Sydney Taylor will be honored before the match.