FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mindy Brauer (617) 253-7946, mbrauer@mit.edu
September 24, 2022
 
THE BASICS:
 
- Scores:
No. 19 MIT 3, WPI 1 (21-25, 25-13, 25-20, 27-25)
No. 19 MIT 3, Colby-Sawyer College 0 (25-9, 25-13, 25-9)
 
- Records: MIT (11-1, 4-0 NEWMAC); WPI (5-5, 0-4 NEWMAC); Colby-Sawyer (5-9)
 
- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Rockwell Cage)
 
- The Lead: Nationally-ranked No. 19 MIT battled WPI for a 21-25, 25-13, 25-20, 27-25 NEWMAC women's volleyball victory and then swept Colby-Sawyer College, 25-9, 25-13, 25-9, on Saturday afternoon.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH ONE vs. WPI:
 
- Set 1: WPI scored the first six points before going up 7-1. MIT battled back, tying the score three times until a pair of WPI errors gave it a 21-19 edge. Following its own timeout, WPI registered a block which resulted in six unanswered points that closed out the set.
 
- Set 2: A pair of WPI setting errors resulted in a 4-3 edge for MIT, which gradually grew to 13-6 after a kill by sophomore Lauren Keller (Albuquerque, N.M.). WPI narrowed the gap to four on two occasions, the last at 15-11 courtesy of an MIT serving error. MIT responded with a kill by junior Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.), which sparked a 10-2 set-ending run.
 
- Set 3: After a back-and-forth start, MIT gradually established a 15-11 lead on a WPI hitting error. The visitors stayed within striking distance as a kill brought it within 22-19. MIT went on to win three of the last four points to secure the victory.
 
- Set 4: MIT built an 11-4 lead after back-to-back aces by first-year Daphne Gavros (Tiburon, Calif.). WPI chipped away at the deficit and tied the score twice, the second at 17 on a kill. Sparked by a kill from senior Lilly Edwards (Kansas City, Mo.), MIT rattled off five unanswered points to create some breathing room. WPI countered with a six-point run as a kill gave it a 23-22 edge. A kill by sophomore Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) kicked off an exchange of points until another Gragg kill coupled with an ace from senior Sofie Kupiec (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) put MIT in front, 25-24. A WPI kill kept it alive, but a kill by Gragg along with a WPI hitting error clinched the match.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Gragg finished with a career and match-high 23 kills as Keller posted 10 kills and four blocks. Rozario chipped in eight kills and three blocks while Kupiec tallied 49 assists, 10 digs, and four aces.
 
- Personeni led all players with 21 digs as sophomore Ashley Margetts (Brownsburg, Ind.) and senior Emma Suh (Santa Monica, Calif.) contributed 12 and 11 digs, respectively. First-year Ali Gibbs (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) chipped in three blocks while Gavros produced four aces.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH TWO vs. Colby-Sawyer:
 
- Set 1: Colby-Sawyer went up 4-1 but a strong serving run by Suh generated six straight points and put MIT ahead for good. The Engineers slowly pulled away, eventually winning the set, 25-9, on an ace by Personeni.
 
- Set 2: MIT put together a 10-2 run which resulted in a 12-4 advantage. The Engineers maintained a comfortable cushion throughout the set as they recorded a 25-13 victory.
 
- Set 3: The hosts scored the first four points and never looked back as they cruised to a 25-9 win.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Margetts led all players with seven kills and hit .538 as Keller and Edwards both notched six kills.
 
- Kupiec totaled 15 assists, five digs, and two aces while Gavros registered 13 assists, four digs, and three aces.
 
- Personeni had 16 digs and four aces as Rozario produced a match-high three blocks.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT continues NEWMAC play on Tuesday, Sept. 27 when it travels to Springfield College for a 7:00 p.m. match.
 
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