NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Wellesley College volleyball fell 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-15) in a NEWMAC match to Smith College at Ainsworth Gym on Saturday.

Junior Abby Hunt (Mandeville, La.) led all student-athletes with 11 kills for the Pioneers (14-5 Overall, 3-1 NEWMAC). Graduate student Taylor Gwynne (Chapel HIll, N.C.) supplied 27 assists and 12 digs. Junior Miranda Oakes (San Francisco, Calif.) registered six blocks, two solo, in the winning performance.

The Blue (7-4 Overall, 2-2 NEWMAC) were led by 10 kills sophomore Kate Giang (Corte Madera, Calif.), 13 digs by junior Kaija Kunze-Hoeg (Eagan, Minn.) and first-year Else Kunze-Hoeg (Eagan, Minn.) and sophomore Noelle Winn (San Francisco, Calif.) both had double-digit assists.

The teams traded the first four points of the match before Smith used a 3-0 spurt to take a lead that they would not relinquish. The Pioneers finished the set with 13 kills on .379 hitting with only two errors. Hill led the Blue with four kills in the set, while Giang added three. Hunt had four kills for Smith. 

The second set was competitive, with the teams tied at 14-14 after 28 points. The Pioneers widened the gap to 20-16 and won five consecutive points to close out the set. Smith produced 12 kills in the set with a .440 hitting percentage.

A mid-set run put Smith up 15-8 and the Pioneers never let the Blue back within four points in a 25-15 final frame, punctuated by a game-winning kill from Gwynne. Smith had 15 kills and a .400 hitting percentage in the third. The Pioneers hit .405 for the match.

The teams each play a NEWMAC match on Tuesday, October 15. Wellesley is at MIT at 7:00 PM and Smith hosts Salve Regina University at 6:00 PM.