Baltimore, MD — On Thursday afternoon, the Smith College volleyball team opened their NCAA Tournament run with a commanding 3-0 victory (25-18, 25-17, 25-21) over Endicott College at Goldfarb Gymasnium. Smith's aggressive offense, consistent serving, and defensive precision propelled them to their 31st win of the season, improving to 31-6 and grabbing their first NCAA Tournament win in program history. 

Match Highlights

• Smith jumped out to an early lead, with Abby Hunt (Mandeville, LA/Fontainebleau) and Mia Etheridge (Half Moon Bay, CA/Half Moon Bay) combining for six kills in the first 15 points.
• After Endicott closed the gap to 15-13, Taylor Gwynne (Chapel Hill, NC/Carrborro) delivered back-to-back assists for kills by Abby Sweeney (Spring, TX/Klein) and Miranda Oakes (San Francisco, CA/San Francisco University), widening the lead.
• Sarah Dankovich (El Paso, TX/Coronado) added a timely service ace, and Hunt capped the set with a powerful kill, securing the 25-18 win.
• Smith maintained their momentum in the second set, hitting .286 as a team.
• A 5-0 serving run by Ari Cross (Milwaukee, WI/Rufus King), featuring an ace and a block assist from Oakes and Etheridge, pushed Smith to an early 12-6 lead.
• Endicott struggled to respond to Smith's front-row dominance, as Anna Feuer (Frederick, MD/Governor Thomas Johnson) added a solo block. Hunt's back-to-back kills at set point closed the frame at 25-17.
• Endicott put up their strongest fight in the third set, tying the score five times.
• Smith pulled ahead 18-15 with Gwynne's clever dump over the net, followed by a kill from Olivia Teske (Minneapolis, MN/South High Minneapolis).
• Endicott narrowed the deficit to 23-21, but Etheridge's cross-court kill and a block by Sweeney and Feuer ended the set at 25-21, completing the sweep.

Key Stats:

• Abby Hunt (Mandeville, LA/Fontainebleau) led Smith with 8 kills, 2 aces, and a .389 hitting percentage.
• Abby Sweeney (Spring, TX/Klein) added 11 kills, 1 block, and a .350 hitting percentage.
• Taylor Gwynne (Chapel Hill, NC/Carrborro) recorded 29 assists, 8 digs, and 2 block assists, controlling the offense efficiently.
• Sarah Dankovich (El Paso, TX/Coronado) anchored the defense with 13 digs and contributed 2 kills from the backrow.
• Miranda Oakes (San Francisco, CA/San Francisco University) provided strong net presence with 3 blocks and 3 kills.

Up Next

Smith advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they will face the winner of the next match of Ithca vs. Lasell. Tomorrow's match will be at 4:30pm in Goldfarb Gym. 

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.