BRUNSWICK

The Tufts University volleyball team defeated Bowdoin in a five-set marathon on Tuesday evening, 3-2, taking a key NESCAC victory in a two-and-a-half hour match at Morrell Gymnasium.

The Jumbos remained perfect in league play and improved to 6-1 overall (3-0 NESCAC). The Polar Bears dropped to 5-3 (2-1 NESCAC) with the setback.

The first game was emblematic of what was to come all evening as neither squad took more than a one point lead until a late Bowdoin surge gave the hosts a 26- 24 win.

Tufts battled back in the second, using a 3-0 run late, keyed by a pair of Brigid Bell kills, to take a 25-22 win and even the match at 1-1. The Jumbos took the third game by the largest margin of the night, 25-19, as Mackenzie Bright sparked a 5-0 surge for the visitors in the middle of the game to pull ahead.

Bowdoin rallied to knot the score with a win in the fourth game, jumping to an early seven-point lead only to see the Jumbos rally to tie the score at 17 apiece. A 5-0 Polar Bear run late clinched the win and set up a deciding fifth game.

With the deciding fifth tied at 5-5, Tufts put the contest out of reach with a 6-0, sparked by three kills from Bell to take a commanding 11-5 advantage. Bowdoin tried to close the gap, but failed to get closer than four points as the Jumbos sealed the win, 15-11.

Caroline Flaharty ended with 15 kills and 15 digs for Bowdoin, while Sydney Salle had 10 kills and six solo blocks. Kate Kiser dished out 42 assists and Khelsea Gordon ended with seven kills and eight blocks for the Polar Bears. Lisa Sheldon recorded 23 digs.

Bowdoin heads to Kentucky for an out-of-region tournament this weekend — the Transylvania Invitational. The Polar Bears will open against Heidelberg in Lexington on Friday evening at 5 p.m.

Men’s soccer

St. Joseph’s College pinned a 1-0 setback on the Polar Bears on Tuesday night to remain perfect in 2017.

The Monks (6-0-1) earned the program’s first victory over the Polar Bears (4-2), having fallen to Bowdoin in their previous four meetings.

Noah Robinson received a leading pass down the left sideline from Colby Elliot and turned the corner. Robinson booted a shot to the top right corner for the game’s lone goal.

The Monks held a 16-5 shot advantage, while the Polar Bears led in corner kicks, 6-4.

Stevie Van Siclen made four stops for Bowdoin. Mullen had three saves for the Monks.

Bowdoin hosts Middlebury on Saturday afternoon with noon.