WALTHAM, Mass. -- The Smith College volleyball team persevered in a five-set thriller (25-21, 25-22, 17-25, 15-25, 15-10) garnering their first victory over Brandeis since 2013 on Thursday evening.

The Pioneers improve to 16-9 on the season while the Judges drop to 8-13. 

Highlights

• Trailing Brandeis 12-11 in the first set, the Pioneers recorded an 11-2 run to increase their lead to 22-14 capped off with a kill by Fiona Hegarty (Tustin, CA/Foothill)
• The Judges were able to reduce the gap to 24-21 but a final point from Smith secured the first set 25-21
• The Pioneers jumped out to an impressive 16-4 advantage in the second frame
• Brandeis responded with a 13-2 run to reduce the margin to 18-17 
• A final push from Smith clinched the second set 25-22 for the Pioneers 
• Smith held a slight 12-11 over Brandeis in the third set 
• The Judges recorded a 10-2 run to advance to a 21-14 edge over Smith
• The Pioneers attempted to close the gap but Brandeis was able to win their first set of the night with a 25-17 victory
• Brandeis began the fourth set with a 12-6 advantage, continuing to pull away with a final 25-15 win over Smith
• Tied at 6-6 in the fifth and final set, the Pioneers persevered to claim the 15-10 victory and secure the 3-2 win over Brandeis for the first time in 10 years

Notes

• Leading the Pioneer offense was Abby Hunt (Mandeville, LA/Fontainebleau) with 16 kills while Fiona Hegarty (Tustin, CA/Foothill) also posted double-digits with 10 kills
• Meg Hopkins (Matthews, NC/Covenant Day School) finished the night with 21 assists while Nathalie Pak (Lexington, MA/Lexington) recorded 19 assists
• Libero Gabby Beckman (Berthoud, CO/Grandview) produced 18 digs for Smith

Up Next
The Pioneers will travel to New London, Conn. face New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) opponent Coast Guard on Tuesday, October 31 at 7pm. 

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.