THE BASICS:
 
- Score: MIT 3, Emerson College 2 (25-13, 22-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-9)
 
- Records: MIT (8-0, 1-0 NEWMAC), Emerson (4-3, 0-1 NEWMAC)
 
- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Rockwell Cage)
 
- The Lead: The MIT women's volleyball team outlasted Emerson College, 25-13, 22-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-9, to open NEWMAC play on Tuesday night.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
- Set 1: Tied at six, an Emerson hitting error sparked a 15-3 run as MIT went on to win the set, 25-13.
 
- Set 2: The Lions gradually built a 14-9 lead but the Engineers battled back, tying the score at 16 following back-to-back aces by first-year Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.). Emerson replied with an 8-3 spurt as a hitting error gave it set point at 24-19. A trio of kills by Gragg kept MIT alive, however a kill from Brooke Maynez thwarted the comeback attempt.
 
- Set 3: The visitors quickly built a 9-4 advantage. However, a kill from junior Alyssa Unell (Scottsdale, Ariz.) kicked off a 10-2 run which put the Engineers ahead for good. The Lions stayed within striking distance as a kill by Parker Cummings brought them within 21-18. A kill from senior Annie Bryan (Kirkwood, Mo.) set off an exchange of points until MIT capitalized on a pair of Emerson miscues to win the set, 25-20.
 
- Set 4: The Engineers jumped out to an 8-3 lead. The Lions chipped away at the deficit and then used back-to-back kills from Logan Steenbergen along with an ace by Amelia Combs to go in front, 16-14. MIT went on to claim five of the next seven points to recapture the lead. Following its own timeout, Emerson put together a 6-2 rally, reaching set point at 24-21 on an ace by Maynez. A kill from Unell extended the frame, however, the Lions quickly countered with a Combs kills to secure the win.
 
- Set 5: A block by Combs along with a pair of miscues helped Emerson take a 3-1 edge. The Engineers responded with a 7-1 run that was capped by a kill from sophomore Allison Brattley (Fleetwood, Pa.). The Lions stayed close as a serving error and a kill from Maynez narrowed the gap to 10-7. MIT countered with a 5-2 burst to wrap up the match.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Gragg totaled 15 kills, nine digs, and five aces while Brattley posted 13 kills and four blocks. Bryan bolstered the front row with 12 kills, a .500 hitting performance, and five blocks.
 
- Cheng generated 55 assists and three aces as first-year Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.) collected 18 digs. Junior Emma Suh (Santa Monica, Calif.) added 15 digs.
 
- Cummings notched 13 kills, followed by 12 from Maynez, who hit .409. Steenbergen tallied 11 kills, three blocks, and two aces.
 
- Rachel Scott dished out 27 assists as Caroline Bond produced 17 assists for Emerson. Caroline Davis paced the Lions with a match-high 20 digs.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT returns to action on Thursday, Sept. 16 when it visits Simmons University for a 6:00 p.m. non-conference tilt. Emerson, meanwhile, continues NEWMAC play on Saturday, Sept. 18 when it hosts WPI at 1:00 p.m.
 
STAY CONNECTED:
 
- For the latest on MIT Athletics, follow the Engineers via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.