SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (Oct. 18, 2011) – Led by sophomore outside hitter Martina Kneifel, the Mount Holyoke College volleyball team picked up a thrilling 3-2 triumph over longtime rival Smith College this evening at the Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium. With their win, the Lyons snapped an eight-match slide. It was their first victory over the Pioneers since the 2001 season.

After splitting the first two sets, Mount Holyoke gained the upper hand with a 25-21 win in the third. The Lyons dropped the fourth set 26-24 and trailed for much of the fifth before rallying back for a 15-10 triumph. First year setter Mollyanne Fitzpatrick served out the match with five consecutive points.

A total of four players recorded double-doubles for the hosts. Kneifel set the tone with 17 kills and 19 digs, while Fitzpatrick added 20 assists and 10 digs. First year setter Alison Chu posted 17 assists and 17 digs. Meanwhile, junior outside hitter Kathryn Brummer racked up 12 kills and 19 digs. The Lyons also received solid production from first year setter Kaleen Iwema and senior middle hitter Tyler Protano-Goodwin, who contributed 27 digs and 10 kills, respectively.

Sophomore outside hitter Rosa Drummond paced Smith with 22 kills, 15 digs, four blocks and a pair of service aces. The Pioneers also received a boost from classmate Hayley Bezubka, who amassed 17 digs and 14 assists. Senior Courtney Faria tallied 21 assists, while sophomore libero Bethany Ashworth chipped in with 30 digs.

The 20^th annual Volleyball Hall of Fame Women's Invitational is slated to take place on the campuses of Mount Holyoke and Smith this weekend. A total of 16 teams will take part in the event, which will include 24 matches on Friday and Saturday. Both squads will be in action on Friday at 5:00 p.m. The Lyons (8-12, 2-5 NEWMAC) will face off against Gordon College, while the Pioneers (7-12, 1-6 NEWMAC) will match up with Brandeis University.