WENHAM, Mass. – The nationally ranked No. 13 MIT women's volleyball team swept Lasell University (25-19, 25-13, 25-13) and the host Fighting Scots (25-9, 25-20, 25-22) to capture the Gordon College Invitational title on Saturday. This was the 13
th time in 18 appearances at the tournament the Engineers have come away with a first-place finish and the fifth consecutive time they did not drop a set.
THE BASICS:
- Scores:
- No. 13 MIT 3, Lasell 0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-13)
- No. 13 MIT 3, Gordon 0 (25-9, 25-20, 25-22)
- Records: MIT (3-0 Overall), Lasell (2-1 Overall), Gordon (1-2 Overall)
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH ONE vs. Lasell:
- Set 1: Lasell inched out to a 14-11 lead, but the Engineers stayed close until a kill by graduate student Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.) kicked off a six-point spurt that resulted in a 21-17 edge. A brief exchange of points followed, however, a trio of kills by senior Lauren Keller (Albuquerque, N.M.) secured the 25-19 come-from-behind win.
- Set 2: MIT carried the momentum into the second set as it jumped out to a 7-2 lead. Lasell battled back, trimming its deficit to 8-6 courtesy of a kill. The Engineers responded with a kill by senior Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.), which sparked a 10-3 run. Lasell won the next three points, moving the score to 18-12. However, MIT replied by claiming seven of the final eight points to capture the victory.
- Set 3: Holding an 8-7 lead, a kill and four consecutive aces by first-year Julia Tolstova (Redlands, Calif.) sparked a string of 10 unanswered points by the Engineers. MIT maintained its comfortable cushion down the stretch as it registered another 25-13 win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Junior Ali Gibbs (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) and Gragg both posted nine kills as Gibbs added a match-high five blocks. Keller recorded six kills on eight errorless attempts while Tolstova finished with five kills and five aces. Sophomore Kayleigh May (Camarillo, Calif.) dished out 28 assists as the Engineers hit .422 in the match. Senior Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.) led all players with 15 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH TWO vs. Gordon:
- Set 1: An ace by May on MIT's opening serve gave it a lead it would not relinquish as it cruised to a 25-9 victory.
- Set 2: The Engineers recorded the first four points of the frame and held a small advantage until Gordon knotted the score at 16. MIT capitalized on a serving error, a kill by Tolstova, an ace from Personeni, and a block by Gibbs to create some breathing room. The Fighting Scots narrowed the gap to 20-19, but the Engineers closed out the set with a 5-1 run as back-to-back kills by first-year Esma Frieden (Germantown Hills, Ill.) clinched the win.
- Set 3: MIT put together a 9-1 run which helped it create a 15-6 lead, but Gordon countered with an 11-2 run that tied the set at 17. The Engineers replied with a four-point burst that featured a pair of kills by sophomore Elise Echarte (Miami Beach, Fla.). Following a timeout by the hosts, both teams traded points until back-to-back kills brought the Fighting Scots within 22-20. A kill by Gragg led to another stretch of back-and-forth scoring as a kill from Gibbs resulted in match point at 24-22. A serving error kept Gordon alive, however, a kill by Frieden thwarted an attempt at a late rally.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Gragg, Gibbs, and Tolstova each produced nine kills while Gragg tacked on seven digs and two aces.
- Sophomore Eileen Sadati (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) bolstered the attack with eight kills as first-year Jillian Amaro (Woodside, Calif.) tallied 19 assists and nine digs.
- Personeni collected 14 digs while May registered a match-high four aces, all coming in the first set.
UP NEXT:
- MIT returns to action on Friday, September 6 when it hosts the two-day MIT Invitational.
- The Engineers will kick things off with a 6:00 PM match against Colby College.
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