WATERVILLE, Maine -- Simmons volleyball battled tournament hosts, Colby College, to five games before falling to the Mules 3-2 (25-23, 25-9, 21-25, 19-25, 15-12) Saturday morning on the second day of the Colby Invitational. The Sharks rebounded in the afternoon, defeating the University of Maine at Farmington 3-0 (25-16, 25-12, 25-22). Sharks freshman Raeann Nesta (Niantic, Conn.) was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and Rachel Dufault (Westport, Mass.) was named to the all-tournament team.

Simmons went down 2-0 against the Mules but fought back to force a fourth and fifth set. Nesta led all players with 19 kills and hit .429 over the five games. Senior setter Rachel Dufault found her groove, with 43 assists, while freshman Chanel Thomas (Phoenix, AZ) led the Sharks defense with 13 digs.

In their second match of the day, the Sharks defeated the University of Maine at Farmington in straight sets as Nesta continued her offensive talents, posting 13 kills and hitting .409. Freshman Brittany Hill (Milford, Mass.) and senior Kelly Last (West Haven, Conn.) each added six kills, while Thomas and junior Nafeesa Connolly (Natick, Mass.) denied the Beavers with their consistent defensive play.

The Sharks travel to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy on September 13th for a 7:00 p.m. match.