NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - The Smith College volleyball team earned a 3-0 (26-24, 25-19, 25-18) sweep over New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) rival Mount Holyoke College Tuesday evening in Ainsworth Gymnasium. Prior to the match, Smith honored its three seniors: Iris Afantchao (Windsor, Conn./Windsor), Kimani Freeman (Newark, N.J./Montclair Kimberly Academy), and Jody Huang (Cranston, R.I./Cranston). 

RECORDS
Smith: 8-20, 1-8 NEWMAC
MHC: 5-19, 0-9 NEWMAC

STARS OF THE MATCH
1. First-year Ava Zollinger (Orlando, Fla./Lake Highland Prep) recorded nine kills
2. Classmate Evi Evgeniou (Thessaloniki, Greece/Pinewood International) totaled 30 assists and three aces
3. Gabby Beckman (Aurora, Colo./Grandview) led the defensive effort with 10 digs

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1
Trailing 13-9, Smith went on a 5-1 run to tie the game at 14. With the visitors holding a 24-23 lead, the Pioneers rallied off three consecutive points to claim the set on a service ace from junior Amy Hagen (Owings, Md./Northern).

Set 2
Tied at 4, a kill from Zollinger started a 5-0 run as Smith gained a 9-4 advantage which grew to 14-8 on an attack error by the Lyons. Mount Holyoke would narrow the gap to 18-16 before Smith put the game away 25-19. 

Set 3
Mount Holyoke continued to put pressure on the home squad by jumping out to a 7-4 lead in the third frame. Tied at 8, Smith went on a 4-1 run to force a timeout by the Lyons. The visitors would briefly hold a 15-13 advantage before Smith closed out the match scoring 12 of the next 15 points.

UP NEXT
Smith hosts Clark University in its season finale Saturday at 12:00 p.m.

About Smith Athletics: Smith College is a NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information log on to smithpioneers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.