WATERVILLE, Maine -- The Bates College volleyball team opened its 2008 season with a 3-0 victory over Husson College Friday night at the Colby Invitational.

A trio of first-year players from the West Coast led the way as the Bobcats won in three sets (25-22, 25-18, 25-18), dropping the Eagles to 1-1.

Setter Grace Haessler (Portland, Ore.) registered 32 assists, 9 digs and 4 aces; right side Chrissy Gee (San Francisco, Calif.) had 6 kills, 6 aces and 7 digs; middle blocker Olivia Schow (Costa Mesa, Calif.) had a team-high 9 kills with 6 digs. Junior outside hitters Liz Leberman (Concord, N.H.) and Tess Dokus (Salem, Conn.) chipped in 7 and 6 kills, respectively, and junior libero Kira Kramlich (San Francisco, Calif.) had 10 digs.

Allison Chepke had 10 kills and 15 digs for Husson.

Bates (1-0) meets Swarthmore Saturday at 10 a.m. and Gordon at 2 p.m. as the Colby Invitational concludes.