NORTON, Mass. – With a 25-9, 25-18, 25-19 victory over Wheaton College on Tuesday night, the No. 4 MIT women's volleyball team improved to 21-0 on the year and 8-0 in NEWMAC play. This is the third time in program history and the first since 1988 that the Engineers opened the season with 21 consecutive wins. In addition, the 21-0 ledger ties the second-best start in Institute history.
THE BASICS:
- Score: No. 4 MIT 3, Wheaton 0 (25-9, 25-18, 25-19)
- Records: No. 4 MIT (21-0 Overall, 8-0 NEWMAC), Wheaton (7-16 Overall, 0-8 NEWMAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Set 1: A kill by sophomore Eileen Sadati (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) ignited a string of 15 unanswered points, resulting in an 18-4 advantage en route to a 25-9 win.
- Set 2: MIT maintained a small lead for most of the frame before gradually pulling away and capturing a 25-18 victory on a kill by sophomore Elise Echarte (Miami Beach, Fla.).
- Set 3: The final set was a back-and-forth affair as there were 10 ties and seven lead changes. Trailing 16-15, back-to-back kills by senior Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) put the Engineers ahead for good. Wheaton stayed close, however, two kills from first-year Julia Tolstova (Redlands, Calif.) and one from junior Claire Underwood (Yorba Linda, Calif.) secured the 25-19 win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Tolstova paced MIT with nine kills, followed by seven from junior Ali Gibbs (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) and six from Gragg. Sophomore Kayleigh May (Camarillo, Calif.) and first-year Jillian Amaro (Woodside, Calif.) dished out 23 and eight assists, respectively, while May added two blocks.
- Junior Daphne Gavros (Bel Tiburon, Calif.) posted eight digs and two aces while graduate student Ashley Margetts (Bethesda, Md.) collected seven digs and two aces. Graduate student Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.) bolstered the defense with three blocks in the first set.
- MIT's longest winning streak and best start to a season occurred in 1983 with 41 consecutive victories. The Engineers' first loss came to UC San Diego in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.
UP NEXT:
- MIT will host the two-day New England Challenge beginning on Friday, October 25 against Middlebury College at 7:00 PM.
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