NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – The Union College women's volleyball team was challenged by a pair of quality opponents on Saturday at Smith College's Ainsworth Gymnasium, putting a big scare into AVCA #4 Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a 3-1 loss before falling in three sets to the regionally ranked Pioneers.
 
Junior Shannon McGrath paced Union (19-10) with 21 kills and 18 digs on the day, followed close behind by sophomore Erin Stevens with 19 kills. First-year Allie Kronenberg registered 46 assists for the Garnet Chargers as well.
 
MIT 3, Union 1 (25-23, 25-18, 19-25, 25-22)
 
Union battled incredibly hard against fourth-ranked MIT to start the day, becoming only the ninth team to take a set off the undefeated Engineers this season in a 3-1 loss.
 
McGrath led all players with 17 kills and added 14 digs for her 11th double-double of the season, and she was followed by Stevens with a career-best 12 kills and three solo blocks, which matched classmate Maddie McCarron for the team lead. Kronenberg again came a dig short of a double-double with 33 assists and nine digs.
 
The Garnet Chargers jumped out to a 12-6 lead in the first set thanks to a 6-0 run, but MIT came back with eight straight points to take back the lead. The Engineers led 23-19 before Union scored four straight to tie the set at 23, but two MIT kills gave the team the opening set.
 
A 12-3 run midway through the second stanza gave the Engineers a two-set lead, but Union continued to battle and extended the match with a hard-fought third-set win. Holding a 10-8 lead, the Garnet Chargers went on an 11-3 run to open up a 21-11 advantage and held on to force a fourth set. Union battled back after trailing early in the fourth and surged ahead by a 21-20 score late in the frame, but MIT recorded four of the final five points to escape with the victory.
 
Smith 3, Union 0 (25-21, 25-9, 25-15)
 
After a fantastic first match of the day, Union ran out of gas in its second matchup, falling to the host Pioneers in three sets. Stevens led the team with seven kills, followed by McGrath and first-year Adrienne Long with four kills apiece.
 
The first set was the closest of the afternoon, with Union last knotting the score at 12. Three straight points put Smith in front and the Garnet Chargers could never get back to even, getting to within a point on two occasions but never getting the tying point.
 
Smith hit an incredible .571 with 15 kills on 21 swings to take the second set easily, and the Pioneers hit well again (.333) in the third frame to finish off the sweep.
 
Union will return to action on Tuesday, when the Garnet Chargers host Rochester Institute of Technology in the first round of the Liberty League Tournament beginning at 6 p.m. at Viniar Athletic Center.