CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In a tri-match on Saturday in Rockwell Cage, the No. 4 MIT women's volleyball team defeated NEWMAC foe WPI, 25-14, 25-17, 23-25, 25-11, and then swept Eastern University, 25-15, 25-22, 25-20, in non-conference action.
THE BASICS:
- Scores:
- No. 4 MIT 3, WPI 1 (25-14, 25-17, 23-25, 25-11)
- No. 4 MIT 3, Eastern 0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-20)
- Records: No. 4 MIT (20-0 Overall, 7-0 NEWMAC), WPI (5-13 Overall, 0-7 NEWMAC), Eastern (14-6)
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH ONE vs. WPI:
- Set 1: MIT jumped out to a 7-1 lead and maintained a small cushion as a kill and back-to-back aces by senior Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) resulted in the final three points of the set and a 25-14 win.
- Set 2: MIT built a 7-2 advantage, however, WPI rattled off eight unanswered points. Four ties and three lead changes followed as a block by WPI evened the score at 16. Sparked by a kill from Gragg, MIT generated a 9-1 set-ending run to claim the victory.
- Set 3: WPI gradually established a 19-14 advantage, but MIT battled back as a kill by junior Claire Underwood (Yorba Linda, Calif.) narrowed the gap to 23-22. WPI capitalized on a serving error, however, a kill from junior Ali Gibbs (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) kept the hosts alive. WPI countered with a kill of its own to secure the 25-23 win.
- Set 4: MIT recorded the first four points and never looked back as a pair of aces from senior Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.) clinched the 25-11 victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Gragg led all players with 14 kills and added 12 digs to go along with three aces and two blocks. Sophomore Eileen Sadati (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) produced nine kills and a .615 hitting performance as Gibbs and first-year Julia Tolstova (Redlands, Calif.) both notched eight kills. Sophomore Kayleigh May (Camarillo, Calif.) posted 41 assists and two blocks while graduate student Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.) registered three blocks. Personeni finished with a match-high 23 digs and three aces as graduate student Ashley Margetts (Brownsburg, Ind.) bolstered the back row with 13 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH TWO vs. Eastern:
- Set 1: Trailing 8-7, a kill by Gibbs kicked off a six-point burst that put MIT ahead for good. Eastern replied with a kill and an ace, however, another kill from Gibbs ignited a 10-5 run that resulted in a 25-15 win.
- Set 2: Kills by Gragg sandwiched a hitting error by the Eagles, giving the Engineers a 16-14 edge. Eastern stayed close as it came within one point on five occasions, the last at 22-21. A hitting error coupled with a kill from Rozario resulted in set point, but the Eagles extended the frame with a kill. Gragg countered with a kill of her own to thwart the comeback attempt.
- Set 3: Trailing 19-14, a kill by Rozario fueled an 11-1 run that clinched the match for MIT.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Gibbs paced the team with 12 kills while hitting .478 as Rozario registered nine kills on 11 errorless attempts to go along with six blocks. Tolstova and Gragg chipped in eight kills apiece as Gragg added 12 digs. May dished out 39 assists while Personeni totaled 23 digs and three aces.
- This was MIT's first win in three meetings with Eastern as the Eagles defeated the Engineers in 2003 and 2005.
UP NEXT:
- MIT will travel to Wheaton College on Tuesday, October 22 for a 7:00 PM NEWMAC match.
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