THE BASICS:
 
- Score: No. 18 MIT 3, Emerson College 2 (28-26, 22-25, 26-24, 17-25, 15-13)
 
- Records: No. 18 MIT (7-1, 1-0 NEWMAC), Emerson (5-1, 0-1 NEWMAC)
 
- Location: Boston, Mass. (Brown & Plofker Gym)
 
- The Lead: In a back-and-forth match that featured 42 ties and 20 lead changes, nationally-ranked No. 18 MIT emerged with a 28-26, 22-25, 26-24, 17-25, 15-13 victory over Emerson College in the NEWMAC women's volleyball opener for both teams on Tuesday.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
- Set 1: The closely played opening frame saw 17 ties and eight lead changes. Trailing 13-12, kills by first-year Ali Gibbs (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) and senior Alyssa Unell (Scottsdale, Ariz.) coupled with two Emerson hitting errors gave MIT a slight edge. The Lions battled back, going in front, 23-21, courtesy of an ace. Emerson reached set point (24-23) on a serving error but a kill from sophomore Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) kept the Engineers alive. Following an exchange of points, MIT captured the 28-26 win with a Gragg kill, a block by Unell and sophomore Lauren Keller (Albuquerque, N.M.), and an ace by Gragg.
 
- Set 2: A kill by the Lions sparked a 14-6 run which resulted in an 18-13 lead. The Engineers chipped away at the deficit, using a kill from senior Lilly Edwards (Kansas City, Mo.) to come within 23-22. Emerson thwarted the comeback attempt as it capitalized on a hitting error and a kill to capture the set.
 
- Set 3: MIT generated a 9-1 run, capped by an ace from senior Emma Suh (Santa Monica, Calif.), to establish a 15-8 advantage. The Lions battled back as a kill put them ahead, 23-21. A kill from Gragg, a block by senior Sofie Kupiec (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and Unell, as well as an ace by sophomore Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.) gave the Engineers set point. A kill from Emerson evened the score at 24, however, the Engineers converted a pair of hitting errors to secure the come-from-behind win.
 
- Set 4: The Lions won the first seven points of the set and cruised to a 25-17 victory.
 
- Set 5: Sparked by a kill from junior Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.), MIT rattled off four unanswered points to go up, 8-5. Both teams traded points until the Lions went on a 6-2 run which gave them a 13-12 edge. The Engineers replied with a Rozario kill and then a block by Rozario and Edwards before winning the match on a hitting error.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Edwards racked up 19 kills and three blocks as Gragg totaled 11 kills and three blocks.
 
- Kupiec generated 36 assists, a career-high 18 digs, and two blocks while Personeni registered 24 digs, seven assists, and two aces.
 
- First-year Daphne Gavros (Tiburon, Calif.) collected 13 digs as Rozario and Unell posted five and four blocks, respectively.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT continues its NEWMAC road trip on Saturday, Sept. 17 when it visits Mount Holyoke College for a 12:00 p.m. match.
 
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