Zoe Ackerman put together a monster week totaling 179 assists and averaging 10.53 assists per set as No. 18 Babson hit .223 as a team while splitting four matches. The senior setter handed out 37 assists in a 3-0 win over Emerson on Tuesday and had 47 assists and nine digs in Friday’s four-set loss to defending NCAA runner-up La Verne. Ackerman handed out a season-high 50 assists to go along with 11 digs and three aces in a five-set loss to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and then totaled 45 assists and nine digs in a reverse sweep of Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday. She also became just the third setter in program history to surpass 3,600 career assists in the win over the Sagehens. 

Addison Klunder led Smith’s defense in a 3-0 week, totaling a team-high 25 digs (2.50 per set) over 10 sets, along with six aces and three block assists. She had 16 digs, seven kills and two aces in a 3-1 NEWMAC win over WPI. On Saturday, she added nine digs and handled 31 serve receptions with one error as the Bears swept New England College and Lasell to improve to 18-1 overall and 5-0 in the NEWMAC. Smith earned the first AVCA Top 25 ranking in program history this week at No. 24 and is No. 7 in the NPI. The Bears have matched the 1988 team for the best 19-match start in program history and are off to their best start in NEWMAC play. Klunder also had 16 kills on .538 hitting Saturday, including nine errorless kills against New England College.