THE BASICS:
 
- Score: No. 16 MIT 3, U.S. Coast Guard Academy 0 (25-15, 25-15, 26-24)
 
- Records: No. 16 MIT (9-2, 1-0 NEWMAC), Coast Guard (10-2, 0-1 NEWMAC)
 
- Location: New London, Conn. (Roland Hall)
 
- The Lead: The No. 16 MIT women's volleyball team rattled off five straight points to come from behind in the third set and capture a 25-15, 25-15, 26-24 victory over the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in the NEWMAC opener for both teams on Tuesday.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
- Set 1: Trailing 4-3, a Coast Guard serving error kicked off a string of seven unanswered points which put MIT ahead for good. The Engineers maintained their small cushion until a kill by first year Emma Hickman (Houston, Texas) sparked an 8-1 run, resulting in a 21-11 advantage. The Bears picked up four of the next five points, but a serving error along with kills by junior Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) and sophomore Claire Underwood (Yorba Linda, Calif.) secured the 25-15 win.
 
- Set 2: Coast Guard inched out to a 6-2 lead; however, a trio of errors started a stretch of seven unanswered points that fueled an 11-2 run by MIT. A brief exchange of points followed, moving the score to 14-10. This was as close as it would get as another Hickman kill ignited an 11-5 set-ending run.
 
- Set 3: The third frame was a back-and-forth affair as there were nine ties and six lead changes. The Bears put together a 7-1 run which resulted in an 11-7 advantage. The Engineers battled back as a 5-1 spurt gave them a 17-16 edge. Coast Guard countered with its own 5-1 burst and then both teams traded points, giving the hosts set point at 24-21. MIT replied with kills by junior Lauren Keller (Albuquerque, N.M.) and Gragg as well as a block by senior Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.) and Gragg to tie the set. The Engineers reclaimed the lead with a block by first year Kayleigh May (Camarillo, Calif.) and Rozario and then they completed the comeback courtesy of a hitting error by the Bears.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Gragg tallied 12 kills, nine digs, three aces, and three blocks as Keller finished with nine kills, a .333 hitting performance, and three blocks. May recorded 26 assists and three blocks while Rozario bolstered the front row with a career and match-high nine blocks.
 
- Senior Ashley Margetts (Brownsburg, Ind.) paced MIT with 15 digs, followed by 12 from junior Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.) and seven by sophomore Daphne Gavros (Bel Tiburon, Calif.).
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT hosts Springfield College and UC Santa Cruz in a tri-match on Saturday, Sept. 23. The Engineers will play the Pride at 11:00 a.m. and then the Banana Slugs at 5:00 p.m.
 
STAY CONNECTED:
 
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