LEWISTON, Maine. -- The Smith College volleyball team cruised past Bates, 3-0 (25-15, 28-26, 25-13), on Friday evening. The Pioneers improve to 11-6 while the Bobcats drop to 3-10. 

Highlights

• Bates began the first set with a slight 12-9 lead until the Pioneers responded with an impressive 13-point run capped off with an ace by Claudia Poehlmann (Chicago, IL/Lane Tech) 
• The Bobcats followed with the next three points but a final three-point push from Smith allowed the Pioneers to claim the first set 25-15
• Smith began the second set with a 13-7 advantage until Bates recorded six unanswered points bringing the score to a tie at 13-13
• The two teams exchanged points in back-and-forth play until Bates took the lead at 19-16
• The Pioneers registered six unanswered points to overtake the Bobcats at 22-19
• Bates' persistence brought the two teams to a tie at 24-24 and 26-26 but Smith was able to clinch the victory 28-26 capped off with an ace by Ari Cross (Milwaukee, WI/Rufus King)
• In the final frame, the Pioneers jumped out to an early start at 11-5 
• The two teams traded points but with Smith's early advantage they were able to secure the victory in the final set 25-13 off of a kill by Miranda Oaks

Notes

• Addison Klunder (Los Angeles, CA/The Buckley School) led the Smith attack with 10 kills while Olivia Mendoza (Chino Hills, CA/Ruben S. Ayala) tallied eight
• Ruby Woodward (Winchester, MA/Winchester) recorded 17 assists while Meg Hopkins (Matthews, NC/Covenant Day School) posted 16 

Up Next
The Pioneers will face University of Southern Maine and Colby College in a double header tomorrow on Saturday, October 7. Smith will play Southern Maine at 12pm and Colby at 4pm. 

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.