THE BASICS:

- Score: No. 5 Johnson & Wales University 3, MIT 0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-18)

- Records: MIT (12-3), Johnson & Wales (9-1)

- Location: Providence, R.I. (Wildcat Center)

- The Lead: Facing its second nationally-ranked opponent of the season, the MIT women's volleyball team fell to No. 5 Johnson & Wales, 26-24, 25-21, 25-18, on Tuesday night. Senior Alexis Groark (Elwood, N.Y.) and junior Emily Condon (Orange, Calif.) paced the Engineers' balanced attack with eight kills while also posting two blocks.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

- Set 1: The opening frame was closely played as there were 17 ties and six lead changes. MIT held a 20-17 lead after a block by Condon and sophomore Hannah Grupe (Oakwood, Ohio), but JWU captured the next three points to even the score. A setting error by the Wildcats kicked off an exchange of points as Groark's kill gave the Engineers a 23-22 edge. JWU recorded a pair of kills to go back in front, however, a serving error created a 24-24 deadlock. The Wildcats responded with back-to-back kills to pull out the win.

- Set 2: JWU built a 9-3 advantage, but MIT battled back, tying the set at 12 courtesy of a Condon kill. The Wildcats rattled off four straight points, however, the Engineers stayed within striking distance as they narrowed the gap to 23-21 on a block by Condon and Groark. Like the previous set, JWU registered a pair of kills to capture the victory.

- Set 3: A series of runs helped the Wildcats establish a 17-10 advantage. MIT trimmed its deficit to four (19-15) following a hitting error, however, JWU went on to outscore the Engineers 6-3 to close out the match.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

- Sophomore Hannah Collins (Sunnyvale, Calif.) chipped in seven kills while junior Andie Maloney (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) totaled 28 assists and eight digs.

- First-year Alyssa Unell (Scottsdale, Ariz.) paced MIT with three blocks as senior Madison Lee (Hillsborough, Calif.) collected a team-high 15 digs.

- Junior Francesca Macchiavello (Lexington, Ky.) rounded out the squad with eight digs and two aces.

UP NEXT:

- MIT returns to NEWMAC action Saturday, Sept. 28 when it visits the U.S. Coast Guard Academy for a 12:00 p.m. match.

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