NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – The Suffolk women's volleyball team defeated Smith, 3-1, Friday night at Ainsworth Gymnasium in the Rams' first game of the Smith College Invitational. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3, Smith 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (2-0) | Smith (0-4)

HOW IT HAPPENED
All sets were a back-and-forth, close battle with the Rams' winning the first two by scores of 25-20 and 25-21. The Pioneers took the third, 25-18, but Suffolk was able to seal its second win of the season in the fourth, 25-22. 

Talia Lombardo led the charge for the Rams as the sophomore put together a 10-kill, nine-assist, eight-dig and four-aces effort. Liz Kerek, who hit .750 on the day, and Chidera Nwankwo, who struck at a .556 percentage, notched six kills apiece. Kerek set up the 32-kill offense with 16 assists. Bridget Allison, Emma Feeney, and Alyssa Gibson all paced Suffolk's defense with 10 digs each. 

SET ONE RECAP (25-20 SUFFOLK)

•  Suffolk scored the first two points of the match, before Smith jumped ahead 5-2. 
• The Rams' used a 4-0 run to regain the lead, 6-5, but it was short lived as the set leveled for the first time at 6-6. 
• The score would lock four more times, before another 4-0 stretch by the Rams gave the blue-and-gold a 15-10 edge. 
• Behind another run, this time five consecutive points, the score moved to 22-15 in Suffolk's favor and the Rams' closed things out, 25-20. 

SET TWO RECAP (25-21 SUFFOLK)

• Smith put Suffolk in a 5-0 hole to straight the second stanza. 
• The Rams battled back with eight unanswered points to pull with three, 20-17. 
• A bad set by the Pioneers evened things at 21-21 and an attack error by the hosts gave Suffolk a 22-21 edge. 
• The Rams went on to score the final three points of the set to take a 2-0 lead in the match. 

SET THREE RECAP (25-18 SMITH)

• The Pioneers rolled out a 8-3 lead. 
• Suffolk pulled within two, 15-13. 
• Smith's lead quickly moved back to six points, 21-16. 
• The Pioneers forced a fourth set by outscoring the blue-and-gold, 4-2, down the stretch. 

SET FOUR RECAP (25-22 SUFFOLK)

• Rolls reversed from the third set with Suffolk jumping out to an 8-3 lead that quickly moved to 10-3. 
• The Pioneers made it a three-point set, 13-10, before pulling within one, 16-15. 
• Thanks to a kill by Nwankwo, the Rams reclaimed a three-point lead, 19-16. 
• Smith kept things interesting down the stretch as the score moved to 23-22, but Suffolk coupled back-to-back to seal the set and the match. 

NOTEABLES

• Suffolk has won its first two matches of the season for the first time since 2009. 

NEXT UP
Day 2 of the invitational is up tomorrow for Suffolk, who will face Husson and UMass Boston at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.