BOSTON - The Smith College volleyball team rallied to a five-set victory over fourth-seeded Emerson in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Quarterfinal on Tuesday evening to advance to the NEWMAC Semifinals on Saturday. 

Smith, who was the fifth seed in the tournament, improved to 21-10 on the season by virtue of its 15-25, 25-20, 15-25, 25-18, 15-9 win. The loss drops Emerson to 18-5. 

Highlights

• First year Abby Hunt led the offensive effort with 11 kills folowed by Sarah Dankovich (El Paso, TX/Coronado) who added 10 kills
• Sophia Padilla finished with a team-high 33 assists
• Olivia Teske and Ava Zollinger (Orlando, FL/Lake Highland Prep) each totaled six blocks
• Sarah Dankovich (El Paso, TX/Coronado) and Gabby Beckman (Aurora, CO/Grandview) combined to post 23 digs

How it Happened

The first set was one-sided in favor of the Lions. Amelia Combs led the Emerson offense as she racked up 5 of her game-high 22 kills. The Lions took a 3-2 lead early in the set and never looked back, increasing their lead to 9-points on multiple occasions throughout the set. Smith was unable to get close enough to catch the Lions as they secured a set one victory for the Lions by a score of 25-15.

In the second, Smith went up 8-2 after a 6-0 run highlighted by two Pioneer aces and a handful of Emerson errors. The Lions tied it at 13-13, but Smith was again able to pull away and go on for a 25-20 win. 

With the match tied at 1-1, the third set began as a back-and-forth battle. A late 5-0 run, followed by a 4-0 run gave Emerson the boost they needed to take a 2-1 match lead. The Lions racked up 16 kills on 33 attempts as they won set three by a score of 25-15

Both sides traded points to begin the third set. Halfway through the set, Smith held a 11-10 lead before rattling off 6 straight points, extending their lead to 17-10. The Lions would get close the Pioneers lad to 6 points, but would ultimately fall by a score of 25-18; tying the match at 2-2.

Smith jumped out to a 5-0 lead and would increase the advantage to 13-4. The Lions again fought back, scoring five of the next six points but the Smith lead proved to be too big to overcome and the Pioneers were victorious by a score of 15-9 as they advance to the NEWMAC Semis.

Up Next
Smith, who will be playing in its first NEWMAC Semifinal since the 2005 season, will travel to MIT and play the top-seeded Engineers Saturday at 1:00pm. 

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.