THE BASICS:
 
- Score: MIT 3, Simmons University 1 (25-11, 25-23, 24-26, 25-15)
 
- Records: MIT (9-0), Simmons (5-2)
 
- Location: Boston, Mass. (Holmes Sports Center)
 
- The Lead: The MIT women's volleyball team improved to 9-0 on the season after defeating local foe Simmons University, 25-11, 25-23, 24-26, 25-15, on Thursday night.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
- Set 1: Holding a 7-4 lead, a kill by junior Lilly Edwards (Kansas City, Mo.) sparked a 7-1 run as MIT went on to win the set 25-11.
 
- Set 2: The set was a back-and-forth affair which also featured several runs by both teams. Simmons inched out to a 9-5 lead but a serving error along with a trio of blocks sparked a 9-2 run by the Engineers. The Sharks tied the score at 14; however, MIT countered with a 6-2 spurt. Simmons replied with a 7-2 run to go ahead, 23-22. The Engineers responded with a kill from senior Hannah Grupe (Oakwood, Ohio) and capitalized on two hitting errors to capture the 25-23 come-from-behind win.
 
- Set 3: The Sharks gradually built a 15-7 advantage. MIT chipped away at the deficit before rattling off six unanswered points to go in front, 22-20. Simmons claimed four of the next five points to regain the lead. A kill by first-year Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) evened the score at 24, but a pair of hitting miscues resulted in a 26-24 win for the hosts.
 
- Set 4: Trailing 9-6, five consecutive Simmons miscues put the Engineers ahead for good as they won the set, 25-15.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Sophomore Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.) powered MIT with seven kills, a .636 hitting performance, and five blocks. Gragg also added seven kills while junior Alyssa Unell (Scottsdale, Ariz.) posted six kills on six attempts.
 
- Junior Emma Suh (Santa Monica, Calif.) tallied a match-high 15 digs as senior Nikasha Patel (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) registered three blocks in one set.
 
- Sophomore Emily Cheng (Sunnyvale, Calif.) produced 16 assists and four digs while first-year Adrina Tang (Monte Sereno, Calif.) totaled nine assists and five digs.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT will host Mount Holyoke College and Salve Regina University in a tri-match on Saturday, Sept. 18. The Engineers will take on the Lyons in a NEWMAC match at 12:00 p.m. and then square off with the Seahawks for a non-conference tilt at 4:00 p.m.
 
STAY CONNECTED:
 
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