Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 WATERVILLE, Maine--The Smith College volleyball team has won their first four matches for the first time since 2004 after the Pioneers beat Colby College and Gordon College to win the Colby Invitational on Saturday.
Smith, which won seven matches all of last year, beat the host Mules 3-1 (25-20, 22-25, 28-26, 25-20) in the first match of the day.
Paige Sarlandt (Cloverdale, Calif./Cloverdale) had an outstanding day at the net, recording 12 kills against just one error, hitting .458, and adding five solo blocks and seven block assists.
Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth) had 13 kills, three service aces, four solo blocks, and five digs, while
Mei-Li Smith (Cypress, Calif./Cypress) had nine kills, six assists, and 19 digs.
Bethany Ashworth (North Falmouth, Mass./Bourne) had assists on 32 of Smith's 41 kills.
In the day's second match, Smith cruised past the Fighting Scots 3-0 (25-8, 25-14, 25-18). Drummond racked up 11 more kills, hitting .733, with four more service aces and seven solo blocks. Sarlandt hit .417 on seven kills, and added three solo blocks and one block assist and a pair of service aces.
Mei-Li Smith (Cypress, Calif./Cypress) had 12 assists and nine digs, and
Julie Voorhes (Ramona, Calif./Ramona) had a team high 18 digs.
Drummond was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player, and
Mei-Li Smith (Cypress, Calif./Cypress) was also named to to the All-Tournament Team.
The last time Smith started 4-0, the Pioneers defeated Brandeis, Wellesley, and Babson at home, and Clark on the road to open the 2004 season. Smith also won their first four matches in 1996, beating the University of New England, Middlebury, Maine-Farmington, and Amherst. Smith has never won five matches to open the year.
Smith will be back in action on Wednesday, September 11, traveling to Western Connecticut State University for a 7 p.m. start.
