Sid Joyce-Farley ’20
Contributing Writer
Autumn returns to Smith College. Our favorite feature of the season: fall sports. Smith student-athletes have been on campus and sweating through preseason since August.
Field hockey started strong with a 1-0 win against Plymouth State University. They nabbed their first conference win from Wheaton College Saturday. Sophie Chase ’18, Caroline Labriola ’18 and Maddie Ryan ’20 each scored, and goalkeeper Cameo Tietje ’18 had a shutout. The victory brings them to 2-3.
Field hockey is led this season by captains Aiko Dzikowski ’19, Julia Hamilton ’18 and Labriola. Coach Jaime Ginsberg, in her tenth year heading the program, has high hopes for the season. By improving the team’s efficiency in corners, working their strength passing in the midfield and no small measure of hard work, she believes they have what it takes to earn a spot in the championship game this year.
Field hockey plays next at home on Sep. 26 at 6 p.m. against Simmons College.
Soccer has a record of 4-2, the most recent battle won away at Wellesley College in their first NEWMAC action. The Pioneers won 1-0 with a goal scored by Kenza Mdarhri-Alaoui ’18 on a free kick. The team won their season opener against Alfred University 2-0. Jordan Isaacs ’18 and Mdarhri-Alaoui are both captains this year, as well as midfielder Laurel Reed ’18.
The team faces WPI at their next home game on Sep. 30 at 2 p.m.
Volleyball returns to the court after a losing 2016 season, but Coach Erin Labasan reports the team is ready to defy expectations. As she praises her players’ resilience, drive and team spirit, Labasan’s confidence is evident. Her hopes do not appear misplaced: the Pioneers have a record of 5-4, and are currently represented in the top 20 for every category in the conference. Maca Rojas ’19 recently recorded her 1,000th career assist against Bay Path University. Smith Volleyball seemed ready to impress at the Smith Invitational, where they performed on the court and, on the bench, a rendition of “Year 3000” by the Jonas Brothers. Their buoyancy and spirit will no doubt aid the team as they fight to prove themselves a competitor in NEWMAC.
Smith Volleyball plays again at home Sep. 21, when they take on Southern Vermont College at 7 p.m.
Cross country hosted the Smith Invitational on Sep. 9. The Pioneers finished fifth, led by Clara Brill-Carlat ’21 and Karena Garcia ’21. Head Coach Ellen O’Neil predicts that the team will be boosted by three first-year runners as well as returners. Cross country aims to finish in the top half of the conference this year, aided by the leadership of senior captains Maggie Painter and Meghan Suslovic.
Cross country races again in Northampton at the Seven Sisters Championship on Oct. 14 at 11 a.m.
Tennis will open their season at ITA Regionals in Williamstown on Sep. 29, with NEWMAC matches beginning in the spring.
The crew team started practice early Monday morning. Clare Doyle begins her first season as head coach. The team is led by two captains, Vivian Brock ’20 and Lisa Guido ’18. According to Brock, the team will strive to be versatile and committed in adapting to changes in the program. Brock’s claims regarding the team’s work ethic are impossible to doubt: Take a look at any crew member’s blistered hands. The team is excited for the fall season, and, of course, for callouses to form.
Crew starts competition at the Head of the Riverfront Regatta on Oct. 1, and will race first in Northampton at the Hadley Chase Oct. 14.
For championship contenders, underdogs and everyone in between, the next few months are full of pressure and possibility. Their fans in the Smith community can’t wait to see how far they go!
