WATERVILLE, Maine. -- The Smith College volleyball team defeated University of Southern Maine, 3-0 (25-16, 25-8, 25-7), before falling to Colby, 3-1 (25-23, 18-25, 22-25, 22-25), on Saturday in a double header. 

The Pioneers shift to 12-7 on the season while the Southern Maine Huskies drop to 4-13 and the Colby Mules improve to 11-5. 

Highlights vs Southern Maine

• The Pioneers jumped out to a commanding 12-2 advantage in the first set 
• Southern Maine attempted to close the gap but Smith finished the set 25-16 capped off with a kill by Abby Hunt (Mandeville, LA/Fontainebleau)
• Smith began the second set with a significant edge at 13-2 capped off with an ace by Ruby Woodward (Winchester, MA/Winchester)
• The Huskies recorded the next two points until the Pioneers dished out nine unanswered points to push the lead to 22-4
• Ultimately Smith was able to secure the second set with a 25-8 victory
• In the final frame the Pioneers held an impressive 18-3 advantage over Southern Maine 
• Smith finished the final set 25-7 clinching the 3-0 sweep
• Meg Hopkins (Matthews, NC/Covenant Day School) totaled 13 assists for Smith
• The Pioneers finished the game with a .236 hitting percentage 

Highlights vs Colby

• Tied at 12-12 in the first set, both teams exchanged points in back-and-forth play until a four-point run put Smith ahead 23-21
• A final push for the Pioneers secured the first set 25-23 capped off with a kill by Abby Hunt (Mandeville, LA/Fontainebleau) 
• Smith began the second set with a slight 12-10 advantage 
• A six-point run from Colby allowed them to take the lead at 16-12
• The Mules continued to increase their edge finishing the second set 25-18 and bringing the score to 1-1
• The third set was a close battle with both teams trading the lead 
• Tied at 19-19, Colby was able to deliver a final push to claim the 25-22
• The Mules held a 10-6 edge in the final set 
• The Pioneers continued to push to a 21-21 tie with Colby 
• The Mules recorded the final three points finishing the set 25-22 and recording the 3-1 victory over Smith 
• Abby Sweeney (Spring, TX/Klein) led the Pioneer offense with 10 kills (hitting .207) while Abby Hunt (Mandeville, LA/Fontainebleau) recorded eight
• Meg Hopkins (Matthews, NC/Covenant Day School) posted 23 assists for Smith while Ruby Woodward (Winchester, MA/Winchester) added 22
• Gabby Beckman (Berthoud, CO/Grandview) finished the night with 19 digs while Hopkins notched 12

Up Next
The Pioneers will travel to New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) opponent Salve Regina on Tuesday, October 10 for a 7pm game. 

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.