NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — Smith College had an impressive showing at Ainsworth Gymnasium on Friday night, sweeping Dean College 25-16, 25-21, 25-13 on Friday and then defeating Vassar College 3-1. 

In the match against Dean, the Bears dominated with a .344 attack percentage and tallied 12 service aces while holding Dean to a mere .098 attack percentage. Despite committing 12 service errors, Smith's defensive performance shone through with 31 digs. 

The first set against Dean began with Smith establishing an early lead, highlighted by Mia Etheridge's (Half Moon Bay, CA/Half Moon Bay) kill. The offense was bolstered by Uma Schulz (Riverwoods, IL/Deerfield High School), who contributed multiple kills, and Skye Higashihara (Honolulu, HI/'Iolani School), who set the stage for several plays. Strong finishing from Addison Klunder (Los Angeles, CA/The Buckley School) and two service aces from Maddie Hliboki (Valley Village, CA/Harvard Westlake) led to a decisive 25-16 victory in the opening set. 

In the second set, both teams exchanged early points, but Smith quickly found rhythm. Olivia Mendoza (Chino Hills, CA/Ruben S. Ayala) and Klunder capitalized on Dean's errors, contributing crucial kills that helped Smith overcome an initial deficit. A key turning point came when Etheridge served a four-point streak, highlighted by consecutive kills from Claudia Poehlmann (Chicago, IL/Lane Tech), tying the score at 13-13. Smith pulled ahead late, with strong plays from Schulz and Ruth Tullis (Edmond, OK/Oklahoma Christian School) to secure a 25-21 win, finishing the set with a decisive kill by Poehlmann.

In the third set, Higashihara's dominant service performance included a service ace and assists leading to consecutive kills by Etheridge, propelling Smith to an early 4-0 lead. Olivia Teske (Minneapolis, MN/South High Minneapolis) contributed two kills on Higashihara's assists, extending the lead to 7-2. Poehlmann's service ace at 14-6 helped maintain momentum, and Alison Chapin's (Temecula, CA/Temecula Valley High School) ace at 18-8 continued to pressure Dean. Despite a brief rally, Smith closed out the set decisively, 25-13, with Teske's final kill securing the match.

Klunder led the Bears against Dean with nine kills on 15 attempts, achieving a hitting percentage of .533, alongside two service aces. Schulz also posted nine kills with a remarkable .667 hitting percentage and added a service ace. Tullis set up her teammates effectively with six assists and recorded nine digs. Madeleine Manzer (Norfolk, VA/Maury) made a perfect impact with a 1.000 hitting percentage from her single attack attempt.

In the match against Vassar, Smith dropped the first set 27-29 but rallied to win the next three sets 25-21, 25-18, and 25-20, recording a total of 13 service aces and 9 blocks. 

The first set against Vassar featured a tense back-and-forth battle. Etheridge logged several key kills, including one at 24-24 to temporarily pull her team ahead. Despite a service ace from Etheridge that brought the score to 27-26, Vassar ultimately edged the set 29-27, with Holland Kaplan's final kill sealing their victory.

Starting the second set, Smith took an immediate lead, capitalizing on Vassar's errors. Anna Feuer (Frederick, MD/Governor Thomas Johnson) and Etheridge led a strong defensive stand, contributing to three consecutive points, including a block by Olivia Teske (Minneapolis, MN/South High Minneapolis). Smith maintained momentum with key plays from Addison Klunder (Los Angeles, CA/The Buckley School), who delivered multiple kills and an ace, pushing the score to 13-6. Skye Higashihara's (Honolulu, HI/'Iolani School) service ace late in the set, followed by another crucial kill from Klunder, secured a 25-21 victory for Smith.

The third set began with Smith gaining momentum through consistent plays, including a strong kill by Miranda Oakes (San Francisco, CA/San Francisco University) at 3-1 and a service ace by Maddie Hliboki (Valley Village, CA/Harvard Westlake) to stretch the lead to 8-4. Although Vassar rallied to tie the game at 8-8, Smith responded decisively. Etheridge's kill, assisted by Higashihara, started a critical phase, leading to a pivotal service ace by Claudia Poehlmann (Chicago, IL/Lane Tech) at 24-18. Smith capitalized on multiple errors by Vassar to secure the set 25-18, concluding with another ace by Poehlmann.

In the fourth set, Vassar took an early lead, scoring the first five points, including two service aces from Francesca Medrano. Smith responded with offensive plays, notably Uma Schulz's (Riverwoods, IL/Deerfield High School) kill at 9-12 that helped even the score. Klunder's decisive service ace at 14-12 helped Smith take the lead, and solid play by Etheridge and Higashihara contributed to a 25-20 set win, clinched by another Schulz kill.

Klunder led the Bears against Vassar with 13 kills and four aces, contributing to a total of 17 points. Etheridge recorded a team-high 18 points, supported by 15 kills and 10 digs. Higashihara added 26 assists and six digs, while Feuer made an impact with two solo blocks and four total blocks, also tallying five digs.

Smith holds an overall record of 4-2 this season, while Dean stands at 0-2 and Vassar has a 2-1 record. Looking ahead, Smith volleyball will face the University of Saint Joseph on tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. at Ainsworth Gym, where they will aim to defend their home court.

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,