THE BASICS:
 
- Scores:
No. 13 MIT 3, Pomona-Pitzer 0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-20)
No. 13 MIT 3, Whittier College 0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-15)
 
- Records: MIT (8-1); Pomona-Pitzer (4-4), Whittier (3-5)
 
- Location: San Antonio, Texas (Calgaard Gym)
 
- The Lead: On Friday, the No. 13 MIT women's volleyball team defeated Pomona-Pitzer (25-15, 25-17, 25-20) and Whittier College (25-22, 25-20, 25-15) at the Trinity Fall Classic hosted by Trinity University.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH ONE vs. Pomona-Pitzer:
 
- Set 1: Trailing 4-1, MIT battled back and went ahead, 7-6, on a block by sophomore Ali Gibbs (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) and senior Emily Cheng (Sunnyvale, Calif.). Pomona-Pitzer evened the score on a kill, but the Engineers used a 14-5 run to pull away. Both teams picked up three points down the stretch as a block by Gibbs resulted in a 25-15 win.
 
- Set 2: MIT inched out to a 4-1 lead which grew to 14-6 after back-to-back kills by sophomore Claire Underwood (Yorba Linda, Calif.). After their own timeout the Sagehens produced two kills and two aces, which resulted in a timeout by the Engineers. A brief exchange of points ensued but a 3-1 burst increased MIT's cushion to 20-13. The back-and-forth scoring returned until a hitting error brought Pomona-Pitzer within 23-17. The Engineers replied with two kills from junior Lauren Keller (Albuquerque, N.M.) to secure the victory.
 
- Set 3: The first half of the set was closely played as there were 11 ties and three lead changes. Knotted at 12, a kill by senior Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.) sparked a 7-0 run that also featured a trio of aces by junior Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.). The Sagehens notched two kills, however, MIT maintained its small cushion before capturing a 25-20 win on a kill by first year Peyton Brown (Parker, Colo.).
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Keller led all players with 11 kills while hitting .450 as Rozario and junior Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) both chipped in nine kills. Cheng tallied 35 assists, eight digs, and six kills while Personeni generated a match-high 19 digs and four aces. Senior Ashley Margetts (Brownsburg, Ind.) and sophomore Daphne Gavros (Bel Tiburon, Calif.) bolstered the back row with 10 and nine digs, respectively.
 
- This was the second meeting between both programs and the first since their first-round match up in the 1988 NCAA Tournament.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH TWO vs. Whittier:
 
- Set 1: The opening frame featured eight ties and six lead changes. Trailing 13-12, a kill by Keller kicked off a string of five straight points which fueled an 11-5 run. Whittier chipped away at the deficit as a setting error brought it within 23-22. MIT responded with a kill by Gibbs and then an ace from Cheng to clinch the win.
 
- Set 2: The Engineers built a 6-1 advantage and held a small lead until a 6-1 run by the Poets narrowed the gap to 14-13. Kills by Margetts and Gibbs along with a ball-handling error created some breathing room. However, Whittier came within one point on three occasions, the last at 21-20 on a serving error. MIT replied with a kill and ace by Gragg, a kill by Rozario, and a set-winning ace by Gragg.
 
- Set 3: The Engineers established a 6-2 lead which grew to 16-7 after a kill by Gragg. MIT maintained a comfortable cushion as it went on to record a 25-15 victory.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Keller powered the Engineers with 11 kills and a .476 hitting performance while Gragg totaled 10 kills, seven digs, and four aces. Underwood contributed seven kills as Cheng registered 35 assists and eight digs.
 
- Personeni amassed 25 digs while Gavros added nine of her own. Gibbs rounded out MIT with five blocks.
 
- This was the first meeting between both programs.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT wraps up the Trinity Fall Classic on Saturday, Sept. 16 when it plays the host No. 12 Tigers at 8:00 p.m. EDT.
 
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