Box Score NORTON, Mass.--The Smith College volleyball team stormed back from a 2-1 set deficit to post a 3-2 (15-25, 25-21, 15-25, 26-24, 15-6) win over Wheaton College. The win and Coast Guard's loss to MIT moved the Pioneers into the No. 5 position in the upcoming NEWMAC tournament.
Smith is now 21-7, and 6-4 in the NEWMAC. It's the most conference wins since the 2006 team went 6-3. Wheaton is now 14-17, and 4-6 against NEWMAC opposition. The Pioneers have won five straight and 11 of 13 since October 12. The only two losses in that span are to co-regular season champion Wellesley.
Paige Sarlandt (Cloverdale, Calif./Cloverdale) hit .455 with 16 kills and seven digs, while
Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth) added 17 kills, a service ace, and a solo block.
Mei-Li Smith (Cypress, Calif./Cypress) had 10 kills and 14 digs, while
Bethany Ashworth (North Falmouth, Mass./Bourne) had 35 assists and 14 digs.
The Pioneers rallied from an early deficit in the fourth set, coming back from down 5-3 to take an 11-9 lead on a kill by
Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth). A
Kristi Hammond (Yona, Guam/St. Johns School) service ace upped Smith's lead to 15-12, but the Lyons got an ace of their own from Anna Strock and a kill from Dierdre Wilson to tie the set at 17.
Wheaton then pulled ahead, taking a 21-19 lead on a kill by Arieanne Chreighton, only to see Smith explode for five straight points, punctuated by a
Mei-Li Smith (Cypress, Calif./Cypress) kill that gave Smith a 24-21 lead. Wheaton would stage a rally of their own, holding off three straight set points to tie the set at 24, but Smith got a kill from
Mei-Li Smith (Cypress, Calif./Cypress) and a Wheaton attacking error to send the game to a deciding fifth set.
Smith got hot in the final set, hitting .476 and opening up a 7-3 lead. Wheaton got within 8-4, but Smith slammed the door shut, ending the set on a 7-2 burst to seal the win. Smith is now 5-3 in five set matches this season.
Smith will play at MIT in the quarterfinal round of the NEWMAC tournament on Tuesday, November 5 at 7 p.m. The two teams met earlier this year in Cambridge, where the Engineers posted a 3-0 (9-25, 12-25, 19-25) win on September 28.
