THE BASICS:
 
- Scores:
No. 6 Vassar College 3, MIT 2 (20-25, 25-15, 28-26, 21-25, 15-7)
MIT 3, Endicott College 1 (25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 25-23)
 
- Records: MIT (5-5, 0-1 UVC); No. 6 Vassar (11-2, 1-0 UVC); Endicott (5-7)
 
- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Rockwell Cage)
 
- The Lead: In the United Volleyball Conference (UVC) opener for both teams, the MIT men's volleyball team fell to No. 6 Vassar College, 20-25, 25-15, 28-26, 21-25, 15-7, in a five-set battle on Saturday. Later in the day, the Engineers bounced back to defeat Endicott College, 25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, in non-conference action.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH ONE vs. No. 6 Vassar:
 
- Set 1: Tied at five, a Vassar serving error sparked a 12-5 run. MIT maintained a small cushion, reaching set point at 24-18. A kill and a block extended the frame, however, after a timeout by the Engineers, graduate student Jay Goettman (McLean, Va.) produced a kill to secure the 25-20 victory.
 
- Set 2: The Brewers inched out to a 5-1 lead, however, MIT stayed within five points for most of the second stanza, the final time at 17-12 courtesy of a kill by sophomore Michael Rini (Huntington Beach, Calif.). Vassar responded with a kill, sparking an 8-3 set-ending run.
 
- Set 3: In a closely played set, a block by the Brewers gave them a 23-18 lead. The Engineers replied with a kill by senior Phillip Johnson (Chandler, Ariz.), kicking off a six-point burst as a kill from Goettman gave MIT set point. Vassar capitalized on an MIT serving error and a kill to go back in front. Another kill by Goettman led to an exchange of points until a block and a ball-handling error resulted in a 28-26 victory for the visitors.
 
- Set 4: The back-and-forth play continued as there were 10 ties and two lead changes until a block by junior Riley Oh (Irvine, Calif.) and Rini, a hitting error by the Brewers, and an ace from Goettman gave the Engineers a 19-16 edge. Vassar countered with its own three-point burst, however, a kill by junior Grant Oh (Irvine, Calif.) sparked a 5-1 run as a block by Goettman clinched the 25-21 win.
 
- Set 5: The Brewers recorded the first three points before establishing an 8-2 advantage. Goettman registered a kill after the changeover and then both teams traded side-outs as late as 10-5 on a Vassar serving error. The Brewers claimed four of the next five points with a kill resulting in match point. A serving error kept MIT alive, however, a serving error by the hosts secured the victory for Vassar.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Graduate student Nick Gustafson (San Diego, Calif.) led all players with 24 kills while hitting .415, in addition to generating seven digs and four blocks. Goettman finished with 10 kills and a .400 hitting performance while Rini posted seven kills and seven blocks. Riley Oh tallied 48 assists, 14 digs, and five blocks as Grant Oh notched nine kills, nine digs, and two aces. Johnson bolstered the defense with five blocks.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH TWO vs. Endicott:
 
- Set 1: Sparked by a kill from sophomore Ben Volokh (Studio City, Calif.), MIT went on a 7-2 run that increased its lead to 17-9. Endicott countered with an 11-6 run as a serving error narrowed the gap to 23-20. The Engineers capitalized on a serving error by the Gulls and an ace from Gustafson to thwart the late rally.
 
- Set 2: Trailing 15-13, a serving miscue by Endicott kicked off a 6-2 burst that put MIT ahead for good. An exchange of points ensued until a kill by Rini and a block by Riley Oh gave the Engineers a 24-22 lead. The Gulls extended the frame with a kill, but Goettman responded with one of his own to secure the win.
 
- Set 3: In a tightly played third set, there were 15 ties and four lead changes. A kill gave Endicott a 23-22 edge, however, MIT knotted the set courtesy of a kill from Gustafson. The Gulls countered with a kill and a block to pick up the victory.
 
- Set 4: Endicott jumped out to a 6-1 lead and maintained a small cushion for most of the set. Trailing 15-11, a serving error ignited a 12-5 run as a kill by Gustafson gave the Engineers a 23-20 lead. Endicott recorded a block, but a serving error resulted in match point. The Gulls generated back-to-back kills, however, another kill from Gustafson ended the comeback attempt.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Gustafson racked up a match-high 21 kills as he hit .390 and added three aces. Rini posted 11 kills on 17-errorless attempts for .647 hitting effort while Goettman notched nine kills and five digs. Riley Oh registered 45 assists and nine digs as sophomore George Chang (Winter Springs, Fla.) totaled a match-high 10 digs.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT will host UVC foe Elmira College on Friday, Feb. 23 at 7:00 p.m.
 
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