MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — Wesleyan (CT) swept Smith College 25-13, 25-19, 25-23 on Friday night at Silloway Gymnasium. Despite the loss, the Bears recorded 25 kills and 28 digs in the match. Wesleyan (CT) secured the win, aided by 41 kills and 8 service aces, dominating from the start.
Smith opened the first set with an early service ace from
Abby Hunt (Mandeville, LA/Fontainebleau), establishing initial momentum.
Addison Klunder (Los Angeles, CA/The Buckley School) contributed with two key kills, keeping the score tied at intervals. Despite their efforts, the Bears faced a series of setbacks due to service errors and opposing kills.
Midway through the set, Smith's defensive plays by
Alison Chapin (Temecula, CA/Temecula Valley High School) and
Miranda Oakes (San Francisco, CA/San Francisco University) provided crucial blocks, but Wesleyan (CT) capitalized on service aces and consistent attacks to widen their lead.
Uma Schulz (Riverwoods, IL/Deerfield High School) managed a kill to keep the Bears in contention, yet the opposition maintained pressure.
As the set progressed, the Bears struggled to close the gap, with Wesleyan (CT) extending their advantage through effective service and attack. Although Smith added points through errors by the opponent, Wesleyan (CT) closed the set at 25-13.
The second set began with Smith trailing after an early sequence of back-and-forth points. The Bears managed to tie the score at 5-5 after a service ace from
Olivia Teske (Minneapolis, MN/South High Minneapolis) and a kill by Chapin. They then fell behind again despite efforts from Hunt and Teske securing points with their kills.
As the set progressed, Wesleyan (CT) extended their lead, capitalizing on Smith errors to push the score to 20-11. The Bears continued to battle, with Chapin and Teske contributing offensively to narrow the deficit. In the final stretch, Smith managed a late surge with Hunt and Chapin both adding kills, but Wesleyan (CT) ultimately closed the set with a 25-19 advantage.
Smith opened the third set with a strong start, quickly establishing a 7-1 lead through a series of effective blocks and kills, including a service ace by
Hana Suzuki (Chattanooga, TN/East Hamilton High School) and blocks by Oakes and Teske. Hunt and Suzuki contributed to the offensive surge with key kills, putting pressure on Wesleyan early on.
Wesleyan (CT) responded with a series of points to narrow the gap, but Smith maintained a slight edge, holding a 15-12 advantage mid-set. Despite Wesleyan's attempts to catch up, the Bears capitalized on opponent errors, with Chapin and Teske adding crucial points to keep the lead.
In a tense closing stretch, Wesleyan (CT) managed to overtake Smith, leading 23-20. The Bears battled back to level the score at 23-23 with a kill from Chapin and an opponent attack error. However, decisive plays by Wesleyan (CT) concluded the set with a 25-23 result in their favor.
Olivia Teske (Minneapolis, MN/South High Minneapolis) posted a hitting percentage of .556 with five kills and added six digs. Hunt tallied seven kills and contributed one solo block for a total of 9.5 points. Suzuki assisted on 11 plays and served one ace. Chapin recorded six kills and seven digs.
The Bears hold an overall record of 16-8 and are 6-2 in the NEWMAC conference. Wesleyan (CT) boasts a 17-1 overall record and remains undefeated in the NESCAC with an 8-0 conference record.
Looking ahead, Smith will travel to Hartford, CT, to face off against Trinity College (Conn.) on October 25. The match will begin at 1 p.m.
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 onto GoSmithBears.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram
