THE BASICS:
 
- Scores:
No. 19 MIT 3, Middlebury College 0 (25-23, 25-20, 27-25)
No. 19 MIT 3, Tufts University 0 (26-24, 25-12, 25-27)
 
- Records: MIT (24-3); Middlebury (13-6); Tufts (11-9)
 
- Location: Williamstown, Mass. (Chandler Gym)
 
- The Lead: The No. 19 MIT women's volleyball team swept Middlebury College (25-23, 25-20, 27-25) and Tufts University (26-24, 25-12, 25-27) to capture the New England Challenge title on Saturday. This was the second year in a row the Engineers won the tournament and the fourth time overall.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH ONE vs. Middlebury:
 
- Set 1: The opening frame was tightly played as there were 12 ties and four lead changes. A block by sophomore Claire Underwood (Yorba Linda, Calif.), an ace from senior Ashley Margetts (Brownsburg, Ind.), and a kill by junior Lauren Keller (Albuquerque, N.M.) gave MIT a 22-19 edge. Middlebury responded with a 4-1 burst to tie the set. Following their own timeout, the Engineers produced kills by Keller and junior Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) to capture the 25-23 win.
 
- Set 2: After a back-and-forth start, a kill by sophomore Ali Gibbs (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) led to five unanswered points and a 10-7 lead. The Panthers picked up three of the next four points, but a kill by senior Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.) kicked off a four-point spurt that resulted in a 15-10 advantage. An exchange of points ensued until a block by Gibbs made the score 20-14. Middlebury stayed within striking distance as a pair of MIT errors brought the Panthers within 22-19. The Engineers countered with a kill by Rozario which was matched by Middlebury. MIT thwarted the comeback attempt courtesy of another Rozario kill and a block by Gibbs and Underwood, resulting in a 25-20 victory.
 
- Set 3: The third set featured 12 ties and eight lead changes. The Engineers slowly built a 10-6 lead, but the Panthers chipped away at the deficit and eventually went ahead, 17-16, on an ace. Six ties and four lead changes would follow as a serving error gave Middlebury set point at 24-23. MIT responded with back-to-back kills from Rozario, however, the Panthers evened the score at 25 with a kill. The Engineers countered with a Rozario kill and an Underwood block to clinch the win.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Rozario amassed 18 kills and a .536 hitting percentage as Keller generated 13 kills and a .480 hitting effort. Senior Emily Cheng (Sunnyvale, Calif.) dished out 45 assists while Margetts posted 13 digs and two aces. Junior Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.) collected 13 digs as sophomore Daphne Gavros (Bel Tiburon, Calif.) registered 10 digs and two aces. Underwood and Gibbs notched six and three blocks, respectively.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH TWO vs. Tufts:
 
- Set 1: MIT gradually established a 13-8 lead, but Tufts generated five straight points after its own timeout. A kill by Underwood and an ace from Margetts gave the Engineers a slight edge, however, the Jumbos later tied the score at 20 on an ace. MIT responded with back-to-back Keller kills and then both teams traded points until a Tufts kill knotted the score at 24. The Engineers countered with kills by Gragg and Cheng to secure the victory.
 
- Set 2: A strong serving run by Margetts helped MIT establish a 19-5 advantage as it cruised to a 25-12 win.
 
- Set 3: The third set was a back-and-forth battle as there were 13 ties and six lead changes. A string of five unanswered points helped the Jumbos take a 14-10 lead. Sparked by a block by Gibbs and Underwood, the Engineers put together a 12-5 run that was capped by an ace from Cheng. Tufts won four of the next five points to tie the frame at 23. A kill by Keller gave MIT match point, however, the Jumbos used a kill and a block to go back in front, 25-24. The Engineers captured the win courtesy of back-to-back blocks by Gragg and a Tufts hitting error.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Underwood and Keller both recorded nine kills while Underwood added four blocks. Gragg compiled 14 digs, eight kills, and six blocks as Cheng generated 29 assists, 11 digs, and two aces. Gibbs produced five blocks while Margetts contributed four aces. Personeni rounded out the squad with 14 digs and two aces.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT travels to Clark University for a NEWMAC match on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 6:00 p.m.
 
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