Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Macarena Rojas (Maipu, Santiago, Chile/Liceo No. 1 Javiera Carrera) set a career high with 13 kills as part of a double-double performance and Mei-Li Smith (Cypress, Calif./Cypress) added a season high 23 assists and season high 18 digs, but the Smith College Volleyball Team fell 3-1 to Regis College in their second contest on Saturday as part of a tri-match at MIT.  The Engineers defeated the Pioneers in straight sets in the opening match of the afternoon.

Against Regis, Smith dominated the opening set, dictating play from the opening serve in a 25-11 set victory.  Serving to start the match, senior-captain Smith ran off four consecutive points, giving the Pioneers they would never relinquish.  Three runs of three consecutive points propelled Smith to a 14-4 advantage, and a second run of four consecutive points put the Pioneers ahead 19-8.  Rojas' fifth kill of the opening set put Smith ahead on the scoreboard 1-0.

But the Pride would not go quietly, responding to win the second set 25-15.  After opening up an early 4-1 lead, Regis had its advantage trimmed to one at 6-5 on another Rojas kill.  With the score 10-7, Regis won four consecutive points to open up a 14-7 lead and with the team's alternating the last five points, the Pride leveled the match 1-1.

In the third set, the two teams exchanged the first 16 points to level the frame 8-8.  A Crystina Lathrop and Rachel Bartels block set up a run of five consecutive Nicole Connolly serves that enabled the Pride to open a five point lead at 13-8.  Smith would get no closer than within four as Regis won the third set 25-14.

Trailing 2-1, the Pioneers opened set four with three consecutive points including a pair of kills by Jenna Rubin (Norfolk, Conn./Suffield Academy) and Xela Miller (Granada Hills, Calif./James Monroe).  Unlike the first three sets, the fourth set was a back-and-forth affair as the two teams found themselves knotted at 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, and 19, before an attacking error and Rubin kill put the Pioneers in front 21-19.  After Regis answered with four straight points of their own, Rojas and Rubin recorded consecutive kills to tie the set at 23.  But the Pride won the next two points, closing out the set 25-23 and the match 3-1. 

Four players recorded double-digit digs against Regis, with Smith and Voorhes leading all players with 18 apiece.  Sakura Tamaki (New York, N.Y./Fiorello H. LaGuardia) registered 14 and Rojas completed her double-double with 11 of her own.  

Voorhes matched her season high with four aces.

In the day's opening match against MIT, the Engineers completed the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference  (NEWMAC) victory with 25-7, 25-18 and 25-20 set victories.  MIT hit .500 (13-1-24) in the opening set, pulling ahead 11-1 early.  Elizabeth Peay (Lebanon, Conn./Lyman Memorial) had two kills and Rojas added one in the opening set for Smith.

In the second set, Smith found their footing and opened up an early 9-5 lead and 14-9 advantage midway through the set.  Winning 13 of the next 15 points, MIT flipped the deficit into a 21-16 advantage, and closed out the set on a pair of Christina Liao service aces.

Down 21-11 in the third set, the Pioneers battled back valiantly, winning eight of the next 10 points to close within 23-19.  On match point, Abby Bertics recorded the final of her game-high 10 kills to send the Engineers to victory.

Against MIT, Rojas again led the Pioneers with six kills while Voorhes organized the defense with 17 digs.

At the net, Rubin recorded a solo and an assisted block, and Rojas had two block assists.

Smith returns to the court on Tuesday for a NEWMAC meeting with Emerson at 7 p.m. in Northampton.