Smith 3, MIT 2
No.3 Smith upset No. 1 seed MIT in Sunday’s 2024 NEWMAC Women’s Volleyball Championship, putting an end to the Engineers undefeated season in five sets. The Pioneers are NEWMAC Women’s Volleyball champions by set scores of 25-17, 21-25, 25-1, 16-25, and 15-11.
Smith was off to a dominant start in the first set, junior Abby Hunt picking up three kills and a service ace, while Taylor Gwynne (Chapel Hill, N.C.) scored off two crafty dumps and 10 assists. Senior Abby Sweeney (Spring, Texas) had two blocks and three kills on the set, reaching a milestone of 1000 career kills. On MIT’s side of the net, Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) and Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.) scored three and four kills respectively. However, the Engineers could not break the Pioneers’ momentum, falling short in the set.
The second set saw a shift in energy toward the Engineers, starting with a 5-0 run to force a Smith timeout. Smith slowly battled back with six total kills from Sweeney and big blocks from Anna Feuer (Federick, M.D.) to bring the set within a point, but Gragg and Ashley Margetts (Brownsburg, Ind.) each contributed two service aces to MIT’s lead. Rozario picked up five more kills in the second set to give the Engineers an edge, 25-21.
Smith was first out of the gates in the third, outside hitter Mia Etheridge (Half Moon Bay, Calif.) contributing both at the net and with her service. Miranda Oakes (San Francisco, Calif.) additionally picked up two kills and a pair of blocks. For MIT, Julia Tolstova (Redlands, Calif.) scored off four kills, but Smith managed to keep the Engineers just out of reach.
The Engineers finally found their rhythm in the fourth, led by Ali Gibbs (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) and Elise Echarte (Miami Beach, Fla.), who each scored four kills. The Engineers were also able to capitalize off several of Smith’s attacking errors, winning the set by the night’s largest point margin of 25-16.
However, Smith wouldn’t let their efforts go to waste. Supported by a loud out-of-town crowd, the Pioneers rallied for the final set and were off to a 3-0 start. Junior Olivia Teske (Minneapolis, Minn.) showed up for some necessary points for Smith, alongside Hunt, Gwynne, and Oakes. Tolstova led MIT in kills in the final set, but could not close in on the Smith lead.
Both MIT and Smith will appear in the NCAA Regional Quarterfinal Round.
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with four Associate Members: Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports.