NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — Smith College Volleyball (10-1) begins NEWMAC play on Tuesday, Sept. 22, when it hosts the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (8-2) at 7 p.m. at Ainsworth Gym. The match is the conference opener for both teams. The Bears are 4-0 at home this season, and Coast Guard arrives on a seven-match winning streak.

Smith split its two matches Saturday at the Babson tournament in Wellesley, Mass. It fell 3-0 to William Smith, the Bears' only loss of the season, then rebounded to beat Union 3-1. Smith has hit .253 as a team this fall and held opponents to a .110 attack percentage. It is averaging 2.18 blocks and 2.40 aces per set.

Alison Chapin (Temecula, CA/Temecula Valley High School) and Mia Etheridge (Half Moon Bay, CA/Half Moon Bay) lead the Smith attack with 102 kills apiece. Chapin's 3.00 kills per set are a team best, and Etheridge leads the team with 124.5 points and has added 85 digs. Anna Feuer (Frederick, MD/Governor Thomas Johnson) has been efficient in the middle, hitting .440 with 67 kills and a team-high 47 blocks, or 1.38 per set. Skye Higashihara (Honolulu, HI/'Iolani School) directs the offense with 195 assists, 5.57 per set, and Hana Suzuki (Chattanooga, TN/East Hamilton High School) has added 139 assists and 16 aces. Ruth Tullis (Edmond, OK/Oklahoma Christian School) anchors the back row with 90 digs, 3.21 per set, and a .921 reception percentage.

Coast Guard's offense runs through Corey Lemmer, who has 117 kills (3.08 per set), and Abby Schweitzer, who has 106. Ava Ahokovi averages 5.24 assists per set. The Bears' defense is led by libero Courtney Shire, who has 173 digs (4.81 per set) and helps the team average 16.3 digs per set. Julia Gallinger leads the team's serving with 17 aces, and Sam Ventimiglia paces the block with 25.

Match Notes

• Tuesday is the NEWMAC opener for both programs. Each enters 0-0 in conference play.
• Smith is 4-0 at Ainsworth Gym this season.
• Coast Guard has won seven straight since a pair of five-set losses at its own tournament Sept. 4. Its last two wins came Saturday at Roger Williams, against the host and Worcester State.
• Both teams played Bridgewater State and Worcester State this season. Smith beat Bridgewater State 3-2 and Worcester State 3-0. Coast Guard beat Bridgewater State 3-1 and Worcester State 3-0.
• Smith holds a slight edge in team attack percentage, .253 to .214. Coast Guard has the edge in digs per set, 16.3 to 13.1.
• The match streams on FloSports, and live stats are available at GoSmithBears.com.

Smith travels to Babson College on Saturday, Sept. 26.

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.