THE BASICS:
 
- Score: No. 21 MIT 3, Emerson College 1 (24-26, 25-18, 25-13, 25-23)
 
- Records: No. 20 MIT (14-3, 4-1 NEWMAC); Emerson (9-6, 1-4 NEWMAC)
 
- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Rockwell Cage)
 
- The Lead: No. 21 MIT generated a 12-5 run late in the fourth set to help it capture a 24-26, 25-18, 25-13, 25-23 victory over Emerson College in a NEWMAC women's volleyball match on Tuesday night.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
- Set 1: Emerson jumped out to a 6-1 lead and maintained a small cushion until a block by sophomores Ali Gibbs (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) and Claire Underwood (Yorba Linda, Calif.) put MIT in front, 20-19. A kill by Rachel Dickerson sparked a 4-1 run by the Lions, however, a pair of miscues and a kill by junior Lauren Keller (Albuquerque, N.M.) gave the Engineers set point at 24-23. Emerson replied with three straight kills by Amelia Combs to secure the come-from-behind win.
 
- Set 2: The Lions once again built a 6-1 advantage, but MIT stayed close before putting together a 13-3 run that resulted in a 21-14 lead. Both teams traded points down the stretch as a kill by Keller clinched the 25-18 victory.
 
- Set 3: Trailing 6-4, a block by senior Emily Cheng (Sunnyvale, Calif.) kicked off a 12-1 run which put the Engineers ahead for good as they went on to record a comfortable 25-13 win.
 
- Set 4: The early stages were closely played, however, Emerson inched out to an 18-13 lead courtesy of a kill by Maya Hall. MIT capitalized on a serving error, setting off a string of seven unanswered points that fueled a 9-1 runand gave the Engineers a 22-19 edge. A kill by Combs led to a brief exchange of points until an ace from Caroline Davis narrowed the gap to 23-22. MIT responded with a kill by junior Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.), however, the Lions countered with a kill by Parker Cummings. The late rally was then thwarted due to a serving error by the visitors.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Keller paced MIT's balanced attack with 13 kills, followed by 10 from Underwood, nine by Gragg and Gibbs, and eight from senior Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.). Cheng tallied 39 assists, 12 digs, four aces, and two blocks while sophomore Daphne Gavros (Bel Tiburon, Calif.) registered 16 digs and three aces. Junior Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.) led all players with 17 digs as Gibbs and Gragg both chipped in two blocks.
 
- Cummings finished with 13 kills, seven digs, and five blocks while Combs totaled 10 kills, seven digs, and four aces. Shannon Clark and Mia Rodriguez dished out 19 and 12 assists, respectively, as Davis collected 15 digs. Allie Montenegro contributed 13 digs while Nika Chapin produced a match-high seven blocks.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT returns to action on Friday, October 6 when it hosts the two-day MIT Quad Tournament. The Engineers will kick things off with a 6:00 p.m. match against Swarthmore College. Emerson, meanwhile, will travel to Suffolk University for a non-conference match on Thursday, October 5 at 6:00 p.m.
 
STAY CONNECTED:
 
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