WENHAM, Mass. – The nationally ranked No. 13 MIT women's volleyball team opened its season by sweeping Neumann University, 25-16, 25-10, 25-13, at the Gordon College Invitational on Friday night. Graduate student
Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.) powered the Engineers with a match-high nine kills while hitting .800.
THE BASICS:
- Score: No. 13 MIT 3, Neumann 0 (25-16, 25-10, 25-13)
- Records: No. 13 MIT (1-0 Overall), Neumann (0-1 Overall)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Set 1: The opening frame was a back-and-forth affair as there were eight ties and five lead changes. Trailing 14-13, a Neumann hitting error followed by an ace from first-year Julia Tolstova (Redlands, Calif.) ignited a 12-2 set-ending run by the Engineers.
- Set 2: The early stages were closely played until a five-point burst gave MIT a 9-4 cushion. Rozario accounted for three consecutive points as she collaborated with sophomore Kayleigh May (Camarillo, Calif.) on a block and notched back-to-back kills. The Engineers gradually pulled away as a hitting error resulted in a 25-10 victory.
- Set 3: After conceding the first two points of the set, a serving error coupled with back-to-back aces from first-year Esma Frieden (Germantown Hills, Ill.) sparked a 9-3 run. MIT maintained a comfortable cushion throughout the set as a kill by junior Ali Gibbs (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) clinched the 25-13 win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Gibbs finished with five kills and a .625 hitting performance while senior Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) added four kills.
- May tallied 18 assists and three aces as senior Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.) led all players with 11 digs.
- Junior Daphne Gavros (Bel Tiburon, Calif.) rounded out the Engineers with eight digs and three aces.
- This was the first meeting between both programs.
UP NEXT:
- MIT returns to action on Saturday, August 31 with two more matches to close out the Gordon Invitational. The Engineers will take on Lasell University at 3:00 p.m. and then the host Fighting Scots at 5:00 p.m.
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