WALTHAM, Mass. — Smith College moved to 9-0 on the season with a 25-11, 25-16, 24-26, 25-19 win over Endicott College on Friday in the opening match of the New England Classic at Brandeis University. Mia Etheridge (Half Moon Bay, CA/Half Moon Bay) led the Bears with 14 kills on 21 swings, hitting .619 with three aces and 11 digs.
Smith hit .380 as a team with 54 kills and just 13 attack errors, and held Endicott to .074 for the match. Anna Feuer (Frederick, MD/Governor Thomas Johnson) added 10 kills on 17 attempts with four block assists, while Sara Warren (Long Beach, CA/Sato) posted six kills and a match-high six blocks. Skye Higashihara (Honolulu, HI/'Iolani School) distributed 25 assists and Hana Suzuki (Chattanooga, TN/East Hamilton High School) added 14 as the Bears turned 48 assists on the night.
The Bears took control early, holding Endicott to minus-.286 hitting in the first set and closing it on an 11-2 run. Smith hit .520 in the second set, pulling away from 17-13 behind kills from Etheridge and a service ace to reach set point.
Endicott answered in the third, scoring seven straight points to erase a 14-7 Smith lead and eventually taking the set 26-24. The Bears responded immediately, erasing a 7-2 deficit in the fourth and outscoring Endicott 23-12 the rest of the way while hitting .621 in the set. Nola Gannon (Dallas, Texas/Townview TAG) ended the match with a kill, one of her six on .455 hitting. Alison Chapin (Temecula, CA/Temecula Valley High School) chipped in six kills and five digs, and Uma Schulz (Riverwoods, IL/Deerfield High School) added five kills and three blocks.
Hadley Helenbrook paced Endicott with 14 kills and five aces, and Hannah Maguire handed out 30 assists.
Smith continues New England Classic play Saturday at 12:30 p.m. against William Smith College at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass.
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.
