THE BASICS:
 
- Scores:
No. 21 MIT 3, Illinois College 0 (25-11, 25-20, 25-14)
No. 21 MIT 3, Albion College 0 (25-15, 25-14, 25-15)
 
- Records: MIT (17-3); Illinois College (9-10); Albion (12-9)
 
- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Rockwell Cage)
 
- The Lead: The No. 21 MIT women's volleyball team swept Illinois College (25-11, 25-20, 25-14) and Albion College (25-15, 25-14, 25-15) to win the MIT Quad Tournament on Saturday. Hosting the tournament for the first time since 2018, the Engineers claimed their 11^th title in the 15-year history of the event. Senior Emily Cheng (Sunnyvale, Calif.) was named the Tournament MVP while junior Lauren Keller (Albuquerque, N.M.) earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH ONE vs. Illinois College:
 
- Set 1: Holding a 3-2 lead, a kill by sophomore Ali Gibbs (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) ignited a 14-2 run which later resulted in a 25-11 win.
 
- Set 2: The second stanza featured 11 ties and five lead changes. Knotted at 14, a hitting error by IC kicked off a 6-2 spurt that was capped by back-to-back aces from junior Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.). The Lady Blues picked up three of the next four points to come within 21-19. A pair of Keller kills and a block by Gibbs gave MIT set point; however, a kill kept IC alive. The Engineers responded with a block by Gibbs and Keller to secure the 25-20 victory.
 
- Set 3: MIT slowly built a 14-7 lead, but the Lady Blues stayed close as a kill narrowed the gap to 15-11. The Engineers countered with a kill from Keller, sparking a 10-3 match-ending run.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Keller finished with 12 kills and a .462 hitting performance while senior Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.) contributed eight kills. Gibbs tallied five kills on seven errorless attempts, four aces, and two blocks as Cheng dished out 31 assists.
 
- Personeni led all players with 16 digs, followed by 11 from junior Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) and 10 by senior Ashley Margetts (Brownsburg, Ind.).
 
- This was the first meeting between both programs.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH TWO vs. Albion:
 
- Set 1: After a tight start, MIT gradually built a 14-7 lead after a kill by Gibbs. The Engineers maintained their comfortable cushion as a kill by sophomore Claire Underwood (Yorba Linda, Calif.) secured the 25-15 win.
 
- Set 2: MIT jumped out to an 8-3 lead which grew to 15-8 courtesy of a kill by Keller. Albion picked up the next four points, but this was as close as it would get as the Engineers put together a 10-2 set-ending run.
 
- Set 3: The Britons won four of the first five points, however, MIT slowly mounted a 14-4 run that resulted in a 15-8 advantage. Albion claimed the next three points and then an exchange of points followed until an ace brought the visitors within 18-15. The Engineers countered with a 7-0 run that was capped by an ace from first year Elise Echarte (Miami Beach, Fla.).
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Gragg totaled 13 kills, a .407 hitting performance, and 10 digs as Gibbs notched 10 kills and a .562 hitting percentage. Underwood added nine kills while Cheng generated 38 assists, 11 digs, and two blocks. Personeni paced MIT with 12 digs as sophomore Daphne Gavros (Bel Tiburon, Calif.) registered 10 digs and two aces.
 
- This was the first meeting between both programs.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT travels to NEWMAC foe Wellesley College on Tuesday, Oct. 10 for a 6:00 p.m. match.
 
STAY CONNECTED:
 
- For the latest on MIT Athletics, follow the Engineers via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.