Box Score NORTHAMPTON, Mass.--The Smith College volleyball team came back from a 2-1 deficit to post a 3-2 (27-25, 22-25, 20-25, 25-16, 15-12) win over Trinity College (CT) in the opening game of the 2013 Volleyball Hall of Fame tournament on Friday evening. Smith improves to 17-7, while Trinity falls to 13-9.
Mei-Li Smith (Cypress, Calif./Cypress) had a triple double, posting 18 kills, 18 digs, and 15 assists, to go with a pair of service aces.
Kristi Hammond (Yona, Guam/St. Johns School) had 10 kills and 17 digs, and
Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth) added another double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs.
Paige Sarlandt (Cloverdale, Calif./Cloverdale) had 12 kills, four total blocks, and four service aces.
Julie Voorhes (Ramona, Calif./Ramona) topped Smith with 33 digs, and
Sonia Brown (Amherst, Mass./Amherst) had 20.
Bethany Ashworth (North Falmouth, Mass./Bourne) had 34 assists.
Hannah Brickley led the Bantams with 25 kills and 29 digs, and Amy Hackett had 29 assists and three service aces, and Kate Giddens had 17 kills and 24 digs.
Smith fell behind early in the first set, as Trinity ran out to a 7-1 lead. The Pioneers would rally, getting within 9-8 on
Kristi Hammond (Yona, Guam/St. Johns School)'s kill, but Trinity worked the lead back up to 15-9 on a kill by Hunter Drews. The Bantams maintained their lead at 22-19 two kills from Brickley, but Smith would roar in front, ending the set on a 8-6 run to take the first set.
Trinity led from start to finish in set two, going up by as many as five at 18-13 on a Smith attack error, and closed out the the set on a kill by Sarah Witham. Trinity took the third set as well, coming back from an early 4-1 deficit for a 25-20 win.
The Pioneers dominated the fourth set, scoring the first seven points of the set and asmassing a 19-7 lead as
Mei-Li Smith (Cypress, Calif./Cypress) and Sarlandt sandwiched kills around a service ace from Ashworth. A Smith attacking error got Trinity back within 20-14, but Smith pulled away again, scoring five of the final seven points of the set.
The deciding set was neck and neck - Smith went up 4-1 on a Trinity service error, only to see the Bantams go back up 7-5 on a kill by Brickley. A Sarlandt kill and a Trinity attack error tied the set at nine, but Trinity got a kill from Giddens to take an 11-10 lead. Smith rattled off four straight points, as
Mei-Li Smith (Cypress, Calif./Cypress) served up a service ace, and a kill from
Bethany Ashworth (North Falmouth, Mass./Bourne). After a Smith attack error, Drummond finished off the match with her 11th kill of the day.
Both teams resume play tomorrow. Smith plays Westfield State and Brandeis, while Trinity plays Brandeis and Springfield.
