Need to Know
Score: Smith 3, Mount Holyoke 0
Records: Pioneers: 7-2, 1-0 NEWMAC, Lyons 2-4, 0-1 NEWMAC
Location: Ainsworth Gymnasium

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - In the NEWMAC opener for both squads, the Smith College volleyball team cruised to a 25-12, 25-22, 25-9 win on Tuesday night.

HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 - Smith went ahead 9-3 before Mount Holyoke closed the gab to make the score 9-6. A 7-0 run from the Pioneers put them up 21-9 as they would go on to easily win the opening set.

SET 2 - In the most competitive set of the evening, neither team could pull away until Smith went up 11-8 on a block from junior Ava Zollinger (Orlando, Fla./Lake Highland Prep) and first year Abby Sweeney (Spring, Tex./Klein). The Lyons quickly tied it and took a 17-15 lead before Smith ended the match on a 6-2 run

SET 3 - The Pioneers left no doubt in the third and cruised to a 25-9 victory. In the final set, Smith hit .270 with 14 kills.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- First year Abby Sweeney (Spring, Tex./Klein) led all players with 12 kills and four blocks,
- First year Nathalie Pak (Lexington, Mass./Lexington) tallied 17 assists while classmate Lilly Mearsheimer (Portland, Ore./Cleveland) added 10.
- First year Olivia Smith (Mill Valley, Calif./Tamalpais) totaled 15 digs as junior Gabby Beckman (Aurora, Colo./Grandview) and first year Sarah Dankovich (El Paso, Tex./Coronado) each totaled nine

UP NEXT
Smith returns to action on Saturday, September 18 when it travels to NEWMAC foe Wheaton for an 11:00 a.m. match followed by a non-conference tilt against Western New England University at 1:00 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.