Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SOUTH HADLEY, Mass.  - The 2010 Volleyball Hall of Fame Women's Invitational concluded today, with Middlebury College and Bridgewater State University winning their respective brackets. A total of 16 teams participated in the 19th edition of the tournament, which was hosted by Smith College and Mount Holyoke College. Prior to the beginning of the event, the teams were ranked based on their results thus far this season. They were then broken up into two eight team brackets. The top eight squads competed in the "Gold Bracket", while the next eight played in the "Silver Bracket".

Smith College split a pair of matches, falling to NEWMAC foe Wheaton in a rematch of a game on September 21, then topping Gordon College to claim 15th place at the tournament.

Facing the Lyons for the second time this season, Smith (3-18) took the first set and pushed Wheaton every step of the way in a 3-1 (25-15, 22-25, 24-26, 29-31) defeat.  Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth) had another outstanding game, recording 19 kills, six digs, six service aces, and hitting .286 for the match to earn a spot on the Silver Bracket All-Tournament Team.  Blair Bell (Upper Montclair, N.J./Montclair Kimberly) added 11 kills and a team high 20 digs, while Courtney Faria (Pocasset, Mass./Bourne) paced the offense with 20 assists. 

In the final match against the Fighting Scots, Smith cruised to a 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-16) win.  Drummond was again the difference maker, notching eight kills with a service ace while hitting .273.  Faria had 14 assists for Smith, while Lauren Martinez (Phoenix, Ariz./Cortez) added 10 more.  Bell racked up six kills and nine digs. 
 
In the Gold Bracket's championship match, top seeded Middlebury breezed to a 3-0 (25-16, 25-14, 25-21) triumph over sixth seeded Bowdoin College. With Tournament Most Valuable Player Lauren Barrett leading the way, the Panthers were flawless throughout the tournament. They won all three of their matches 3-0. Second seeded Amherst College topped fourth seeded Tufts University 3-1 (25-23, 25-18, 12-25, 25-18) to grab third place overall.
 

Fourth seeded Bridgewater State was the surprise winner in the Silver Bracket. The Bears made a dramatic comeback in their championship win over third seeded Union College. They trailed 2-0 before taking the final three sets to finish off the Dutchwomen by a score of 3-2 (23-25, 19-25, 25, 19, 25-23, 25-14). Prior to that contest, they knocked off top seeded Westfield State University 3-1. Bridgewater State was paced by Natalie Cohen, who went home with Most Valuable Player honors. In the third place contest, second
seeded WPI downed Westfield State 3-0 (25-21, 25-11, 25-23).