Lexington, Ky. - October 6, 2026 - MIT women’s volleyball first-year outside hitter Sabine Smith (Park City, Utah) has been named as the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Women’s Volleyball National Player of the Week.
Smith is the second student-athlete from the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) to be recognized with national accolades this season as Emerson’s Chloe Hokenson took home National Player of the Week honors on September 15.
Smith is the first women’s volleyball student-athlete from MIT to be recognized as the AVCA Division III Player of the Week and now the third all-time from the NEWMAC joining Hokenson (2026) and MaryKathryn O’Neil of Springfield College (2005) since the award’s inception in 1993.
Yesterday, Smith was tabbed as the NEWMAC Women’s Volleyball Offensive Athlete of the Week for the second time this season, after a tremendous week that saw the Engineers defeat No. 2 Colby College in straight sets, Bowdoin College in five and NEWMAC rival Wheaton in three on Tuesday.
Smith generated 50 kills (4.55 per set), a .266 hitting percentage, 27 digs (2.45 per set), and seven aces. She led all players with 10 kills and added 10 digs, two aces, and a block in a 25-22, 25-17, 25-16 victory at Wheaton on Tuesday. Smith then produced a match-high 26 kills, a .358 hitting percentage, 11 digs, one ace, and one block on Friday in a 25-19, 22-25, 17-25, 25-18, 16-14 win against Bowdoin. She capped off the weekend with a match-high 10 kills to go along with a .294 hitting percentage, six digs, four aces, and one block as the Engineers swept No. 2 Colby, 25-20, 25-13, 25-21, on Saturday.
MIT checked in fifth in the first release of the NCAA Division III Power Index rankings yesterday and before this afternoon’s AVCA Division III Coaches Poll release, the Engineers sit ninth, but will surely go up after a 3-0 week that featured a win over the second-ranked Mules of Colby College.
The Engineers are 12-1 overall and 2-0 in NEWMAC play and will host Salve Regina University in conference action this evening at 6:00 pm in Rockwell Cage. MIT’s match tonight is its Dig Pink match in support of The Side-Out Foundation, which raises funds to help those battling breast cancer.
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 13 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Saint Anselm College (beginning reclassification process with NCAA in 2027-28), 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 seven Associate Members: New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 21 sports.