NORTHAMPTON - The Smith volleyball team swept NEWMAC foe Wheaton College, 25-15, 25-13, 25-10, and battled New Paltz for a 25-23, 27-25, 25-21 victory in a pair of matches on Saturday. Smith begins the year 9-2 overall and 2-0 in the NEWMAC.

Highlights vs Wheaton

• Leading 12-11, a kill by Olivia Teske (Minneapolis, MN/South High Minneapolis) kicked off a 9-0 run as Smith won the first set 25-15
• Following a back-and-forth start to the set, the Pioneers built a 9-6 edge after an ace by Nathalie Pak (Lexington, MA/Lexington). Smith ended the set on a 5-0 run to pull away for a 25-13 victory
• Smith jumped out to a 7-1 lead as strong hitting allowed the Pioneers to cruise to a 25-10 win
• Abby Sweeney (Spring, TX/Klein) recorded nine kills (.444 hitting percentage), while Teske bolstered the Pioneers' attack with seven kills
• Pak finished with 12 assists, four aces and three digs
• Gabby Beckman (Aurora, CO/Grandview) led all players with 13 digs

Highlights vs New Paltz

• Tied at 5-5, a kill from Hunt sparked a 6-0 spurt that put Smith in front. New Paltz was able to chip away at the lead to tie the set at 17-17. The Pioneers used a 4-1 run to close out the set, 25-23
• The second set was closely played as there were 15 ties before a kill from Sarah Dankovich (El Paso, TX/Coronado) and an ace by the Pioneers gave them the 27-25 win
• The momentum shifted as New Paltz jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the third. Smith used a 4-0 run late in the set to  go ahead 21-19 and back-to-back kills from Hunt and Manzer allowed the Pioneers to sweep the Hawks
• Ava Zollinger (Orlando, FL/Lake Highland Prep) led Smith with seven kills followed by six from Ari Cross (Wauwatosa, WI/Rufus King) and Abby Hunt (Mandeville, LA/Fontainebleau)
• Pak and Sophia Padilla (Fontana, CA/Saint Lucy's Priory) combined for 26 assists 
• Zollinger and Madeleine Manzer (Norfolk, VA/Maury) combined to total 11 blocks

Up Next
The Pioneers host Coast Guard on Tuesday, September 20 at 7:00pm.

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.