THE BASICS:
 
- Scores:
MIT 3, Endicott College 2 (26-28, 25-14, 28-26, 19-25, 15-9)
MIT 3, No. 20 Bowdoin College 0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-18)
 
- Records: MIT (7-0); Endicott (4-2); Bowdoin (2-2)
 
- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Rockwell Cage)
 
- The Lead: The MIT women's volleyball team captured the MIT Invitational title for the first time since 2017 after defeating Endicott College (26-28, 25-14, 28-26, 19-25, 15-9) and nationally-ranked No. 20 Bowdoin College (25-14, 25-20, 25-18) on Saturday. Sophomore Emily Cheng (Sunnyvale, Calif.) was named the Tournament MVP while senior Annie Bryan (Kirkwood, Mo.) earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. In addition, this was the fifth year in a row the Engineers went undefeated at the MIT Invitational.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH ONE vs. Endicott:
 
- Set 1: The opening set was closely played as there were 13 ties and five lead changes. MIT crept out to a 13-10 lead but Endicott went up 20-17 courtesy of an ace. The Engineers responded with a 7-3 burst as a kill by Bryan resulted in set point. The Gulls used a pair of kills to go back in front, however, MIT countered with a Bryan kill and an ace by junior Emma Suh (Santa Monica, Calif.) to create a 26-25 edge. Following their own timeout, the Gulls rattled off three straight kills to claim a 28-26 win.
 
- Set 2: The Engineers jumped out to an 11-3 lead and maintained a comfortable cushion as they registered a 25-14 win.
 
- Set 3: Trailing 21-18, MIT generated four straight points. The set became a back-and-forth affair as an Endicott kill resulted in set point at 24-23. A block by sophomore Allison Brattley (Fleetwood, Pa.) and Bryan kept the Engineers alive, and then a kill by Bryan put MIT in front. An exchange of points ensued until back-to-back kills from first-year Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) gave the Engineers a 28-26 victory.
 
- Set 4: Tied at 13, the Gulls went on a 12-6 run to close out the set.
 
- Set 5: MIT used back-to-back blocks by Cheng and Bryan to establish a 9-5 advantage. Endicott won three of the next four points to stay within striking distance. However, the Engineers used a 5-1 burst to capture the win.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Brattley paced MIT with 14 kills while Gragg tallied 12 kills, five blocks, and four aces.
 
- Junior Alyssa Unell (Scottsdale, Ariz.) posted 11 kills, a .556 hitting performance, and nine blocks as senior Julia Caravias (Bloomfield Hils, Mich.) added 11 kills.
 
- Cheng notched 47 assists and a team-high 14 digs while Suh collected 12 digs.
 
- Bryan finished with eight blocks to go along with nine kills as first-year Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.) recorded 10 digs.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH TWO vs. Bowdoin:
 
- Set 1: A kill by Caravias sparked a 14-5 run which gave MIT an 18-9 advantage. The Engineers eventually won the frame, 25-14.
 
- Set 2: The first half of the set was closely played as there were six ties. Knotted at 13, MIT claimed the next four points. Bowdoin countered with a 4-1 spurt to come within one (18-17). The Engineers replied with a 7-3 run to end the set.
 
- Set 3: After trailing early in the frame, MIT slowly built a 19-12 lead. Bowdoin battled back, closing the gap to 20-17. The Engineers went on to win five of the next six points to clinch the match.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Gragg led all players with 12 kills and added two aces while Caravias totaled 11 kills, three aces, and three blocks.
 
- Cheng produced 30 assists and eight digs as Personeni registered a match-high 14 digs.
 
- Bryan powered MIT with five blocks to go along with seven kills.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT returns to action on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 6:00 p.m. when it hosts Emerson College in the NEWMAC opener for both squads.
 
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