NEWARK, DE -- The University of Delaware volleyball team’s rally fell just short during a 3-2 (27-30, 26-30, 30-19, 30-23, 13-15) loss against William & Mary in a Colonial Athletic Association bout at Viera Court on Saturday night.

After losing the first two sets, the Hens won games three and four by a combined 60-42 score. Then, in game five, Delaware (19-3, 4-1 CAA) jumped out to an early 7-3 lead only to surrender 12 of the last 18 points, falling 15-13.

During the match, Stephanie Barry (at right) set a new career-high with 46 digs. Her total was the second highest ever by a Blue Hen, trailing only Karen Beegle's 52-dig performance against Princeton in 1990.

Senior co-captains Colleen Walsh and Megan Welch also had strong performances. Walsh posted a season-high 30 kills, while Welch added 66 assists.

Kelly Gibson also extended her double-double streak to six matches after posting 25 digs and 17 kills against the Tribe.

Delaware (19-3, 4-1 CAA) held tough throughout the match. The Hens rallied back from early deficits in each of the first two sets, only to see their efforts fall just short.

In the third frame, Delaware was the team that jumped out to an early lead, grabbing a 14-8 advantage. Although William & Mary eventually cut the lead to four, the Hens held on for the victory.

The fourth game played much like the third with the Hens grabbing an early lead before the Tribe rallied from behind. Trailing by as many as eight points, William & Mary cut the deficit to three at 23-20 but could not pull ahead.

Not until game five did the trailing team complete a comeback as the Tribe erased a four-point deficit to win the match.

Michelle LaLonde notched five blocks for the Hens, including four solo stops. She also chipped in with eight kills and seven digs.

Four of Delaware’s freshmen also had strong games. Katie Dennehy and Paige Erickson posted 12 and 10 kills respectively, while Greta Gibboney added 12 digs and Jess Chason had 13 digs and the team’s only service ace.

William & Mary (9-9, 4-1 CAA) was led by Erin Skipper, who had 20 kills and 19 digs. Jill Nowadly added a team-high 32 digs, while Kim Mount had 56 assists.

The loss snapped two winning streaks for Delaware. The Hens entered the contest having won nine matches in a row. They also had a program-best 10-match home winning streak in tact before the contest.

The Blue Hens return to action on Friday at 7 p.m. when they travel to Hofstra to face the defending CAA champions.

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