NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — No. 13 Wesleyan University rallied past No. 19 Smith College 25-16, 19-25, 19-25, 25-18, 15-13 in nonconference volleyball action Friday night at Ainsworth Gymnasium. Smith (21-3) won the second and third sets to take a 2-1 lead before the Cardinals (15-2) answered in the fourth and held on in the fifth.
Wesleyan opened with a 9-4 start and led 19-9 in the first set. The Bears responded in the second, as Hana Suzuki (Chattanooga, TN/East Hamilton High School)'s serving run turned a 5-2 deficit into a 6-5 lead and Alison Chapin (Temecula, CA/Temecula Valley High School) put down seven kills in the set. Mia Etheridge (Half Moon Bay, CA/Half Moon Bay) served five straight points for a 6-1 lead in the third, and Smith led the rest of the way. Mila Chan's back-to-back aces broke a 9-9 tie in the fourth to send the match to a fifth set. Wesleyan built an 8-4 lead in the decider before a block by Uma Schulz (Riverwoods, IL/Deerfield High School) and Sara Warren (Long Beach, CA/Sato) pulled Smith within 8-7. Down 14-11, the Bears saved two match points on a kill by Addison Klunder (Los Angeles, CA/The Buckley School) and an ace by Suzuki before Fiona LaCamera closed it out.
Chapin finished with 27 kills on 51 swings, hitting .451 with two solo blocks. Klunder added 14 kills, 17 digs and three aces, Etheridge had 11 kills, and Anna Feuer (Frederick, MD/Governor Thomas Johnson) chipped in seven kills on .400 hitting. Skye Higashihara (Honolulu, HI/'Iolani School) dished out 34 assists with nine digs, Suzuki added 19 assists and two aces, and Ruth Tullis (Edmond, OK/Oklahoma Christian School) had 10 digs. Smith outhit Wesleyan .327 to .281 and held a 68-56 edge in kills and an 8-6 edge in blocks, but the Cardinals served 10 aces and committed one service error to the Bears' seven aces and 15 errors.
Chan led Wesleyan with 14 kills and three aces. Paulina Marino-Bindi hit .579 with 12 kills, Siena Steines added 10 kills, and Lucy Konisky had 22 assists. Elliana Moreno posted 18 digs.
Smith hosts Trinity College on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m. at Ainsworth Gymnasium.
About Smith Athletics
Smith College is a NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information, log on to GoSmithBears.com and follow the Bears on Facebook and Instagram.
