Box Score NORTHAMPTON, Mass.--The Smith College volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (23-25, 21-25, 23-25) New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) match to the United States Coast Guard Academy on Tuesday night.  Smith is now 6-11 overall, and 2-4 in the NEWMAC, while Coast Guard is 14-8, and 4-2 in the NEWMAC.

Smith was led by Blair Bell (Upper Montclair, N.J./Montclair Kimberly), who totalled nine kills on 13 attempts for a .692 hitting percentage, while Mei-Li Smith (Cypress, Calif./Cypress) had 13 assists and 17 digs.   The Bears were led by Kelsey Deporto's 12 kills and 31 assists from Maggie Hine.

The Pioneers opened up an 8-6 lead in the first set on Becca Alexander (Powell, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne)'s kill and an ace from Paige Sarlandt (Cloverdale, Calif./Cloverdale).  Coast Guard scored the next four points for a 10-8 advantage, but Smith pulled within two on a kill from Sarlandt.  The set went back-and-forth, with neither team opening up more than a three point lead.  Blair Bell (Upper Montclair, N.J./Montclair Kimberly)'s kill knotted the match at 20, before the Bears brought the set to point by scoring the next four.  Smith pulled within one with a 3-0 burst, before the Bears ended the set with a 25-23 win.

Smith took a four point lead midway through the second set, as kills from Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth), Mei-Li Smith (Cypress, Calif./Cypress), and Blair Bell (Upper Montclair, N.J./Montclair Kimberly) staked Smith to a 15-11 advantage.  The Bears tied the set at 15, but a service ace from Bell restored Smith's advantage to 18-17.  Coast Guard finished the set by scoring eight of the final 11 points to take a 25-21 victory.

The Bears would also rally in the final set, turning a 13-11 deficit into a 17-16 advantage.    Smith kept the set within a point at 20-19 oon another kill from Bell, but the Bears pulled away from Smith for a 25-23 win.

Smith will return to the court this weekend, traveling to Keene, N.H. for a quad-match with the host Owls, Plymouth State, and Mount Holyoke.  The Pioneers play Plymouth State at 12 and Keene State at 2:30.  Coast Guard will travel to Bowdoin College for a non-conference matchup on October 12.