THE BASICS:
 
- Score: No. 18 MIT 3, Eastern Nazarene College 0 (25-14, 25-14, 25-16)
 
- Records: MIT (27-3); Eastern Nazarene (17-11)
 
- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Rockwell Cage)
 
- The Lead: A balanced attack helped nationally-ranked No. 18 MIT defeat Eastern Nazarene College, 25-14, 25-14, 25-16, in the first round of the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Tournament on Friday night.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
- Set 1: MIT jumped out to a 7-2 lead but Eastern Nazarene battled back as a block by Emma Graves brought the Lions within 12-9. The Engineers responded with a kill by sophomore Ashley Margetts (Brownsburg, Ind.), which sparked a 13-5 set-ending run.
 
- Set 2: After a back-and-forth start, MIT gradually built a 15-4 lead following an ace by sophomore Emily Cheng (Sunnyvale, Calif.). The Engineers maintained a comfortable cushion as they cruised to a 25-14 win.
 
- Set 3: A block by Eliana Baran brought Eastern Nazarene within 6-4, but a kill by senior Annie Bryan (Kirkwood, Mo.) ignited a 17-7 run. The Lions extended the frame by picking up the next four points, moving the score to 23-15. Baran recorded a kill and collaborated with Halle Julian on a block. MIT ended the run courtesy of a kill by sophomore Allison Brattley (Fleetwood, Pa.). A serving error kept Eastern Nazarene alive, however, a block by Bryan and first-year Adrina Tang (Monte Sereno, Calif.) clinched the 25-16 victory.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Sophomore Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.) posted eight kills on 10 errorless hitting attempts in two sets while junior Alyssa Unell (Scottsdale, Ariz.) registered eight kills, a .583 hitting percentage and three blocks for MIT. First-year Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) produced seven kills, a .429 hitting effort, a match-high four blocks, and two aces.
 
- Cheng notched 23 assists and two aces while Tang finished with 17 assists.
 
- First-year Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.) led all players with 16 digs and earned two aces.
 
- Baran paced Eastern Nazarene with six kills, followed by five from Graves.
 
- Ruth Aguilar totaled 16 assists and five digs while Telma Zelaya tallied a match-high three aces.
 
- Julian recorded three blocks as Samantha Thornton and Jessica Caldwell both produced five digs.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT will host Haverford College in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 4:00 p.m.
 
STAY CONNECTED:
 
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