CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The No. 10 MIT women's volleyball team opened the Boston Invitational by defeating Whittier College, 19-25, 25-16, 25-16, 25-20, on Friday night. Graduate student
Consecrata Rozario (Cary, N.C.) amassed 13 kills and 11 blocks, tying the program record for blocks in a four-set match which was set by Shea Landeene '20 in 2016. First-year Malena The (Chino Hills, Calif.) powered the Poets with a match-high 14 kills to go along with 10 digs and three blocks.
THE BASICS:
- Score: No. 10 MIT 3, Whittier 1 (19-25, 25-16, 25-16, 25-20)
- Records: No. 10 MIT (7-0 Overall), Whittier (5-2 Overall)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Set 1: MIT recorded five of the first six points and eventually went up 11-4 after back-to-back kills by Rozario. Whittier countered with a 13-4 run as a kill by senior Analise Kusleika (Upland, Calif.) gave the Poets a 17-15 edge. The Engineers tied the score twice and then went up 19-18 courtesy of a kill by junior Claire Underwood (Yorba Linda, Calif.). Whittier replied with seven unanswered points to win the set.
- Set 2: MIT inched out to a 13-9 lead, but the Poets stayed close as a hitting error knotted the set at 14. The Engineers capitalized on a hitting miscue by the visitors, sparking an 11-2 set-ending run that was capped by an ace from sophomore Elise Echarte (Miami Beach, Fla.).
- Set 3: MIT maintained a small lead throughout the set as a kill by senior Xenia Villagomez (Corona, Calif.) narrowed the gap to 15-14. The Engineers responded with a kill from first-year Julia Tolstova (Redlands, Calif.), kicking off a 10-2 run which secured the victory.
- Set 4: MIT gradually put together a 12-6 run as an ace by senior Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.) established a 22-14 advantage. Despite the deficit Whittier continued to attack as an ace from senior Nadine Oronoz (Whittier, Calif.) brought the Poets within 23-20. The Engineers countered with a pair of kills by Echarte to clinch the win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Echarte finished with nine kills and two aces as senior Lauren Keller (Albuquerque, N.M.) totaled seven kills and four blocks.
- Sophomore Kayleigh May (Camarillo, Calif.) compiled 38 assists, four blocks, and two aces while Personeni collected 20 digs.
- Junior Daphne Gavros (Bel Tiburon, Calif.) posted 14 digs followed by 11 from Tolstova who also had four blocks.
- Kusleika notched eight kills as Villagomez produced eight blocks and seven kills. Senior Morgan Lin (Glendora, Calif.) registered 23 assists and 12 digs while Oronoz led all players with 21 digs and four aces.
UP NEXT:
- MIT and Whittier return to action on Saturday, September 14. The Engineers will host Christopher Newport University at 11:00 AM to wrap up the Boston Invitational and then they will play UMass Boston at 3:00 PM. The Poets, meanwhile, will travel to Tufts University for an 11:00 AM match and then they will take on No. 17 Calvin University at 1:30 PM.
STAY CONNECTED:
