THE BASICS:
 
- Scores:
Endicott College 3, No. 10 MIT 1 (25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22)
No. 10 MIT 3, Bowdoin College 0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-13)
 
- Records: MIT (6-0); Endicott (4-0); Bowdoin (2-2)
 
- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Rockwell Cage)
 
- The Lead: The No. 10 MIT women's volleyball team fell to Endicott College (25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22) but bounced back to defeat Bowdoin College (25-12, 25-15, 25-13), resulting in a runner-up finish at the MIT Invitational on Saturday. Sophomore Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.) represented the Engineers on the All-Tournament Team.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH ONE vs. Endicott:
 
- Set 1: Endicott jumped out to a 10-3 lead. MIT battled back and eventually went in front, 17-16, courtesy of sophomore Lauren Keller's (Albuquerque, N.M.) kill. An exchange of points ensued until an ace by the Gulls gave them a 20-19 edge before going on to win the set, 25-22.
 
- Set 2: The Engineers gradually established a 16-6 advantage after an Endicott hitting error. The Gulls chipped away at the deficit, coming within 23-21 after a kill. A serving error resulted in set point but another kill kept Endicott alive. MIT responded with a kill from senior Lilly Edwards (Kansas City, Mo.) to thwart the comeback attempt.
 
- Set 3: After five ties and five lead changes, the Gulls rattled off five unanswered points to go up 14-9. The Engineers stayed within striking distance as a hitting error narrowed the gap to 19-17. Endicott picked up five of the next seven points, however, a kill and two aces by first-year Ali Gibbs (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) brought MIT within two (24-22). After their own timeout, the Gulls capitalized on a serving error to secure the win.
 
- Set 4: Following a back-and-forth start to the set, the Engineers inched out to a 13-9 lead. Sparked by a block, Endicott went on a 10-2 run to go ahead for good. Despite the deficit MIT continued to attack, using a setting error to narrow the gap to 23-21. The Gulls countered with a kill but an Edwards kill extended the frame. Endicott responded with another kill to wrap up the match.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Senior Alyssa Unell (Scottsdale, Ariz.) posted a team-high 11 kills and three blocks as Gibbs tallied 10 kills, a .600 hitting performance, three aces, and three blocks.
 
- Edwards totaled 10 kills while senior Sofie Kupiec (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) recorded 37 assists and 14 digs. Personeni bolstered the back row with 12 digs.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH TWO vs. Bowdoin:
 
- Set 1: Holding an 8-6 lead, a kill by sophomore Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) ignited a 17-6 run which resulted in a comfortable victory. First-year Daphne Gavros (Tiburon, Calif.) earned a trio of aces late in the set while Edwards' kill was the final point in the 25-12 win.
 
- Set 2: The early stages of the set featured eight ties and two lead changes. Trailing 8-7, a Keller kill kicked off an 18-7 run as Kupiec's ace clinched the 25-15 victory.
 
- Set 3: Knotted at nine, a Bowdoin serving error set off a 16-4 run by the Engineers. A pair of aces from Gibbs along with a kill by Unell made the score 24-13. MIT then used a hitting error to win the match.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Edwards tallied a match-high 11 kills in addition to six digs and two blocks. Gibbs registered nine kills, a .533 hitting percentage, two aces, and two blocks while Keller finished with eight kills, a .429 hitting effort, and three blocks.
 
- Kupiec ammased 32 assists and 14 digs as Gavros produced seven digs and five aces. Personeni collected 12 digs to close out the weekend.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT returns to action on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 6:00 p.m. when it travels to Emerson College for its first NEWMAC match of the season.
 
STAY CONNECTED:
 
- For the latest on MIT Athletics, follow the Engineers via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.