Box Score CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--MIT served up 16 service aces as the No. 4 seeded Engineers swept past the No. 5 seed Smith College 3-0 (13-25, 15-25, 23-25) in the quarterfinal round of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tournament on Tuesday night.

Paige Sarlandt (Cloverdale, Calif./Cloverdale) led Smith (21-8) with eight kills, three digs, and a solo block, while Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth) had five kills and two service aces.  Bethany Ashworth (North Falmouth, Mass./Bourne) had 14 assists, and Julie Voorhes (Ramona, Calif./Ramona) had 12 digs.

In the first set, MIT pulled away, going on a 9-1 run that broke up a 6-6 tie.  The Engineers led by as many as 13 at 24-11 before Smith got back two points on an MIT service error and a kill by Mei-Li Smith (Cypress, Calif./Cypress), but MIT ended the set on a kill from Tatiana Berger.

Set two was similar, as MIT broke up a 6-6 tie with an 8-1 burst fueled by three kills from Berger.  Kristi Hammond (Yona, Guam/St. Johns School)'s kill got Smith within 17-12, but MIT ended the set on an 8-2 run.

It was the Pioneers who got off to a hot start in the third set, as Hammond had two kills and Drummond a service ace for a 7-2 Smith lead.  The Engineers rebounded to take a 15-13 lead on two service aces by Jennie Glerum, but Smith roared back with four straight points, with two blocks on MIT attacks giving Smith a 17-15 lead.  

MIT went on another mini-run to take a 20-18 lead, but three straight Smith kills, one from Sarlandt and two from Drummond gave the Pioneers the lead back 21-20.  Two kills from Berger put MIT up 22-21, but Smith took the lead back on another kill from Drummond and an MIT attack error.  

After Berger's kill tied the match again, Sharon Hao served up consecutive service aces to give MIT the win.  Berger led MIT with 13 kills, while Megan Gebhard had 10.  

MIT advances to the semifinals of the tournament, where they will matchup with top-seeded Springfield College on Saturday.  Smith will await word of an ECAC New England tournament bid.

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