Allie Rooney ’16
Sports Editor
The Smith College Volleyball team’s season is off and running. The team opened its season on September 2 against Simmons College, and has had some very competitive matches since they began. The Pioneers are currently 5-5 after competing in the Seven Sisters Championship this past weekend from September 13 to September 14.
Their first game of the season, Smith boasted a 3-1 win over Simmons. Mei-li Smith ’16 led the Pioneers’ attack with 12 kills, nine assists, and eight digs. Newcomer Dayra Diaz Marquez ’18 had a great performance to start out her career at Smith with six kills, 20 assists and 10 digs for the Pioneers. Defensive specialist Samantha Danguilan ’15 also had 13 digs in the Pioneer victory.
When the Pioneers traveled to Lasell College on September 9, they were victorious by a margin of three sets to one. Smith again led the Pioneers offense, playing in the outside hitter setter position. Smith posted her first triple-double of the season with 14 kills, 11 assists and 17 digs. Julie Voorhes ’17 led the Pioneers with 22 digs.
While these victories were rewarding and exciting for the Pioneers, the team’s home opener on Thursday, September 11 was the most thrilling game yet. Smith battled the Trailblazers of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts through the full five sets. Smith won the first set of the match by a 25-14 margin. The Trailblazers then answered back with a second set win. It was back again to Smith who took the third set by a score of 25-22. In the fourth set, MCLA took a 25-19 win. They battled through what would be the deciding set of the match. Smith used standout efforts from Smith, Marquez, Allison Hardy ’17, and Voorhes to take a 15-9 set, and overall match, victory. Smith finished the game with her second-straight triple-double with 16 kills, 15 assists and 28 digs. Marquez had nine kills, 24 assists and 17 digs. Hardy had her first double-double of the season, finishing with 17 digs and 10 kills and Voorhes chipped in with 24 digs.
The Pioneers suffered 0-3 losses against Vassar College and Wellesley College (the eventual tournament champion), while picking up another win against Mount Holyoke College. Smith was led by Lauren Shaffer ’17 who finished with 10 kills, Smith with 4 kills, 13 digs, and 23 assists, and Hardy with seven kills and 14 digs.
The Pioneers open New England Women and Mens Conference play this week as they travel to Worcester, MA to compete against Clark University, followed by a trip to Babson College on Saturday, September 20. The team is off to a promising start and although they are a young group (with only one senior and two juniors, with the remaining seven players all underclassmen), the team is excited to see what the future holds. Captain Mei-li Smith ’16 stated, “We are still learning to play with each other, but all in all we have a good and dynamic team, and we all connect well with each other. We have a long season ahead of us and I can’t wait to see where we go.”
