CAMBRIDGE - The Smith College volleyball team's hope for a comeback fell short as the Pioneers fell to No. 20 MIT in the semifinals of the NEWMAC Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Rockwell Cage. The nationally-ranked Engineers defeated Smith (25-20, 25-18, 22-25, 25-18) as MIT (23-5) entered the match as the top-seed in the NEWMAC while the Pioneers (21-11) were seeded fifth.
How it Happened
Set 1: MIT jumped out to a 12-2 lead, but Smith battled back, coming within three points on three occasions, the last at 22-19 on a kill by
Ava Zollinger (Orlando, FL/Lake Highland Prep). A kill by Emily Cheng and an ace from Ottavia Personeni resulted in set point, however a hitting error by the Engineers extended the frame. MIT went on to win the set courtesy of a hitting error by the Pioneers.
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Set 2: The second set was a back-and-forth affair as there were 10 ties and five lead changes. A kill by Ashley Margetts sparked a 7-0 run that put the Engineers ahead for good. Smith narrowed the gap to 21-18 on a kill by Miranda Oakes, however, MIT captured the final four points to win the set.
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Set 3: The Pioneers won the first four points before going up 11-4 on an ace by
Ari Cross (Wauwatosa, WI/Rufus King). The Engineers battled back, coming within 17-15 on a kill by Lilly Edwards. However, Smith countered with its own four-point burst to create some breathing room. Despite the deficit MIT continued to attack, capitalizing on a pair of miscues to once again come within two points (23-21). A kill by Zollinger was followed by a kill from Margetts, but the Pioneers thwarted the late rally courtesy of a kill by
Sarah Dankovich (El Paso, TX/Coronado).
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Set 4: Trailing 6-5, a kill by Consecreta Rozario junior kicked off a string of six unanswered points by the Engineers. Smith came within three points on two occasions, the last at 14-11 on a kill by Olvia Teske. MIT responded with four straight points before going on to win the set, 25-18.
Game Notes
- Abby Hunt and Teske each finished with 11 kills while Hunt chipped in six blocks
- Zollinger contributed eight blocks and seven kills as Sophia Padilla recorded 39 assists and 11 digs
- Cross tallied a match-high 17 digs and three aces while Gabby Beckman (Aurora, CO/Grandview) collected 16 digs.
- Smith last appearance in the NEWMAC semifinals was in 2005
(Portions courtesy to MIT Athletics)
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.
