On the volleyball court, captain Julia Panepinto ’20 of Buffalo, N.Y., is the one dishing out the assists. Off the court, Panepinto’s teammates assist her.

She’s taking the rhetoric course â€�Presidential Campaign Rhetoric,â€� in which students mount a full-blown mock presidential campaign on campus. And Panepinto is one of the candidates.

“At every campaign event, the team is there,” Panepinto said. “So there is such a supportive environment we have, and I think it’s unparalleled.”

It’s a supportive, but also very competitive, environment. Practices are intense.

“It can get a little snippy,” Panepinto says with a smile. “Only seven people can start on game day and each of us wants to be one of those seven.”

Mix those two ingredients together and you have the best season for the program in nearly a decade.

The Bobcats went 14-8 during the regular season, the program’s most wins since 2009. Now, the Bobcats head to the NESCAC tournament for the fourth straight year under head coach Melissa DeRan.

Each season, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ has increased its win total under DeRan but the Bobcats are still looking for their first win in the NESCAC tournament since 2003.

“Obviously being in the tournament is great, the NESCAC is a fight, day in and day out,” DeRan said. “But, that’s not good enough anymore and it’s time for us to make an impact now that we’re there.â€�  

For a first-year Bobcat, there’s no better place to start your sports career than Alumni Gym. For ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ first-year volleyball players, that was Tuesday evening vs. the University of Southern Maine in the college’s first home contest of the year.

“Alumni is such a magical place for us,� says head coach Melissa DeRan.

“It’s always nice to be at home on our own court and in our own locker room, especially for our first-years. It’s special when you get to put on your collegiate jersey in front of your peers for the first time.�

They know Bobcat greatness when they see it. From left, Delaney Mayfield '21, Olivia McCulloch '21, and Jordan Camarillo '20 bow to their teammates. (Theophil Syslo/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

Head coach Melissa DeRan likes what she sees as ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ defeats the University of Southern Maine. (Theophil Syslo/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

Angel Echipue '21 (16) and Taylor Stafford-Smith '20 (9) go up for a block. (Theophil Syslo/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

Angel Echipue '21 of Munich, Germany, says she liked the "intensity" of Alumni Gym. (Theophil Syslo/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

Jacqueline Forney '18 (15), Taylor Stafford-Smith '20 (9), Angel Echipue '21 (16), and Claire Naughton '19 (8) react after a point. (Theophil Syslo/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ made a comeback after losing the first set, winning 3-1.

“Being the first college home game, it was a different experience,â€� says Angel Echipue ’21 of Munich, Germany. “It was really fun, very exciting. Being in Alumni was a different playing environment — a lot more intensity.”

Echipue, who spent part of her high school career in the U.S., says sports here “are so much more celebrated than in Germany.” Moving from high school to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, she sees “a lot more commitment with a college team. That’s why I love it.”

Ruby Lightbourn ’21 of Los Angeles agrees. “I love playing in Alumni Gym. It has a good energy and more of an environment — and more people in the stands.”

“It was good to see us all come together in the last couple games and to get a win at home,” says Delaney Mayfield ’21 of Santa Barbara, Calif. “It felt really comfortable and like our home.â€�

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ volleyball will look for another win on .