LEWISTON — The Bowdoin College women’s volleyball team rebounded from a one-set deficit to defeat Bates, 3-1, in a New England Small College Athletic Conference match Wednesday evening at Alumni Gymnasium.

After falling in the opening set, the Polar Bears bounced back to take a 19-25, 25-18, 25- 20, 25-21 victory to improve to 9-4 (2-1 NESCAC). Bates fell to 6-7 (0-3 NESCAC).

Clare Geyer had a teambest 11 kills for Bowdoin, while Christy Jewett pitched in 10 kills and six digs. Taylor Vail earned 19 digs and four aces while Quincy Leech dug out 11 balls, dished out 35 assists and posted four aces in the win. Abby Leberman had 10 kills and three aces for Bates.

Bates closed the first set on an 8-3 run but Bowdoin quickly sprinted to a 12-6 lead in the second set to deadlock the match at 1-1. The Bobcats jumped to a 7-1 advantage in the third set, but Bowdoin chipped away at the Bates lead and used an impressive 11-2 surge to take an 18-14 lead in the eventual 2-1 advantage.

The fourth and final set proved to be the most competitive of the night as the teams traded points and found themselves tied at 19-19. The Polar Bears, thanks to a pair of key kills by Christy Jewett, took six of the final eight points to seal the win.

The Polar Bears will return to action with their first home weekend of the season tonight and Saturday at the Midcoast Classic. Bowdoin will host the University of New Brunswick in an exhibition match tonight (7 p.m.) before playing Brandeis (11 a.m.) and Colby-Sawyer (3 p.m.) in Morrell Gymnasium on Saturday.

Horowitz honored

BRUNSWICK — Bowdoin College senior Coby Horowitz has been named the NESCAC Men’s Cross Country Performer of the Week.

The Most Outstanding Performer at the 2012 NESCAC Championships, Horowitz took first place out of 284 runners at the season-opening University of Southern Maine Invitational on Saturday.

He claimed the crown in the five-mile race with a time of 25:11.51 and led the Polar Bears to a third-place team showing.

Horowitz has now won three straight races in New England dating back to last year, including last year’s NESCAC Championship and New England Division III titles.

Bowdoin is set to return to action next weekend with its lone home event of the season — the Bowdoin Invitational — scheduled for the Pickard Cross Country Course beginning at 11 a.m., with the women’s race and continuing with the men’s race at noon.

Women’s tennis

BRUNSWICK — The Bowdoin College women’s tennis team enjoyed a solid weekend as the lone Division III team at the Cissie Leary Invitational hosted by the University of Pennsylvania.

Against players from Delaware, Maryland, Princeton, Cornell, Columbia, Rhode Island and St. Johns, the Polar Bears boasted a 12-9 record in singles play against their D-I opponents.

Kate Winingham led the way for Bowdoin, posting a 4- 1 record and reaching the semifinals of the Second Flight before falling to a player from Princeton.

Pilar Giffenig and Emma Lewis each posted 3-1 singles records.

In doubles play, Bowdoin went 3-5, with Tiffany Cheng and Giffenig accounting for all of the Polar Bear wins with a 3-1 mark.

Bowdoin will travel to Williams College this coming weekend for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Northeast Regional.