THE BASICS:
 
- Score: No. 20 MIT 3, Springfield College 2 (21-25, 15-25, 25-14, 28-26, 15-8)
 
- Records: No. 20 MIT (29-4), Springfield (26-4)
 
- Location: Springfield, Mass. (Blake Arena)
 
- The Lead: Trailing two sets and facing championship point twice in the fourth set, No. 3 seeded MIT battled back to defeat host and top-seeded Springfield College, 21-25, 15-25, 25-14, 28-26, 15-8, in the NEWMAC Women's Volleyball Championship on Sunday. The nationally ranked No. 20 Engineers captured their third straight conference crown (ninth overall) and will be making their 22^nd appearance in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. In addition, senior middle hitter Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.) was named the Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
- Set 1: After a back-and-forth start, Springfield inched out to a 15-11 lead. Two kills by Rozario along with two aces by sophomore Daphne Gavros (Bel Tiburon, Calif.) tied the frame. Following an exchange of points, back-to-back kills gave the Pride an 18-16 edge. A kill by junior Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) led to a four-point burst that put MIT in front, however, Springfield responded with a 7-1 run that resulted in a 25-21 victory.
 
- Set 2: Following another tight start, six straight points gave the Pride a 13-7 lead. The Engineers chipped away at the deficit as a hitting error brought them within 15-13. This was as close as it would get as Springfield put together a 10-2 set-ending run.
 
- Set 3: MIT jumped out to a 7-1 advantage as junior Lauren Keller (Albuquerque, N.M.) recorded five kills. The visitors maintained a small cushion until a kill by Keller ignited an 8-3 run that resulted in a 25-14 win.
 
- Set 4: The fourth frame featured 13 ties and six lead changes. Trailing 17-16, the Pride rattled off four points in a row. The Engineers countered with a kill by sophomore Ali Gibbs (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) which sparked a 7-2 run and gave them set point at 24-22. Springfield capitalized on two kills and an MIT hitting error to reach match point. A kill by Rozario evened the score at 25, but a serving error once again resulted in match point. The Engineers then used a Rozario kill, a hitting error by the Pride, and an ace by Gragg to capture the 28-26 victory and force a fifth set.
 
- Set 5: Trailing 6-5, a kill by senior Ashley Margetts (Brownsburg, Ind.) sparked a 9-2 run as she capped it with a kill that gave MIT match point. A kill by Springfield extended the frame, however, another kill from Margetts secured the 15-8 victory.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Rozario amassed 19 kills and a .485 hitting percentage as Keller racked up 19 kills and a .372 hitting performance. Gibbs posted eight kills and four blocks while Margetts recorded 14 digs and eight kills. Gragg tallied 10 digs, seven kills, three aces, and three blocks as senior Emily Cheng (Sunnyvale, Calif.) produced 57 assists and eight digs. Junior Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.) led all players with 19 digs.
 
- This was the third time both teams have met in the NEWMAC Championship. The Pride won the first match-up in three sets in 2003 while the Engineers swept Springfield for the title in 2021.
 
- MIT is the third program in conference history to win at least three consecutive championships and the first since Wellesley College won eight in a row (1995-2002). Prior to that run, Wheaton College claimed the championship from 1992 to 1994.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT will learn about the location and its opponent in the NCAA Tournament during the selection show on Monday, Nov. 13 at 1:00 p.m. on NCAA.com.
 
STAY CONNECTED:
 
- For the latest on MIT Athletics, follow the Engineers via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.