NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - The Smith College volleyball team shouldered a pair of 3-0 losses to No. 17 Babson and Keene State Saturday afternoon. Against the nationally-ranked Beavers, the Pioneers fell by set scored 25-16, 25-17, 25-18 before a three-set setback to the Owls 25-20, 25-21, 25-12)

HOW IT HAPPENED - Match 1 vs No. 17 Babson
Set 1 - After the Beavers jumped out to a 10-5 lead, Smith captured the next four points to come within one. The two teams would exchange points before Babson pulled away for the win.
Set 2 - Smith tied the set 7-7 and took the lead on a block from first year Ava Zollinger (Orlando, Fla./Lake Highland Prep) before a 5-0 run from Babson gave the visitors a lead that would not be relinquished.
Set 3 - A ball handling error by Babson tied the game ,15-15, as the Beavers would goon to outscore Smith 10-3 to claim the  match.

Stars of the Match
1. Senior Jody Huang (Cranston, R.I./Cranston) led the Pioneers with 17 digs
2. First-year Evi Evgeniou (Thessaloniki, Greece/Pinewood International) produced a game-high 14 assists
3. First-year Zollinger added five kills and five blocks

HOW IT HAPPENED - Match 1 vs Keene State
Set 1 - The Owls built a 7-5 advantage, but Smith battled back and took a 9-8 lead on a kill from senior Kimani Freeman (Newark, N.J./Montclair Kimberly Academy). With the game tied at 19, Keene State outscored the Pioneers 6-2 for the victory.
Set 2 - Junior Amy Hagen's (Owings, Md./Northern) kill generated a 12-9 advantage for the Pioneers but the Owls battled back to take a 20-14 lead courtesy of Bailey Wilson's service ace. A kill from Keene State's Megan Palmer clinched the set.
Set 3 - The Owls wasted no time and jumped out to a 13-3 lead and never looked back as back-to-back kills from KSC finished off the Pioneers.

Stars of the Match
1. Senior Kimani Freeman (Newark, N.J./Montclair Kimberly Academy) finished with 10 kills and eight digs
2. Evgeniou generated a game-high 32 assists
3. First-year Gabby Beckman (Aurora, Colo./Grandview) chipped in with 10 digs


UP NEXT
Smith returns to action on Tuesday, October 1 at 7:00 p.m.when it travels to Wellesley.

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.