CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In the NEWMAC women's volleyball opener for both teams, No. 6 MIT battled the U.S. Coast Guard Academy for a 25-18, 25-18, 20-25, 25-21 victory on Tuesday night. Sophomore
Elise Echarte (Miami Beach, Fla.) racked up seven aces, one shy of tying the program record for aces in a four-set match that was established by Allison Furuya in 1992, while also leading the Engineers with four blocks. Senior Kaela France (Ellicott Calhan, Colo.) amassed a match-high 28 digs and added two aces for the Bears.
THE BASICS:
- Score: No. 6 MIT 3, Coast Guard 1 (25-18, 25-18, 20-25, 25-21)
- Records: No. 6 MIT (13-0 Overall, 1-0 NEWMAC), Coast Guard (9-5 Overall, 0-1 NEWMAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Set 1: A kill by senior Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) sparked a 13-6 run that resulted in a 19-12 advantage for MIT. Coast Guard used a kill from junior Mack Boose (Camden, N.C.) and a hitting error by the Engineers to stay close. However, MIT rattled off four straights points to move the score to 23-18. The Bears countered with their own four-point burst, but solo blocks from first-year Julia Tolstova (Redlands, Calif.) and Echarte secured the win.
- Set 2: The Engineers gradually built a 13-9 lead after back-to-back kills by sophomore Eileen Sadati (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.). Coast Guard capitalized on a serving error, two kills from senior Shannon Shaw (Torrance, Calif.), and an ace by junior Sarah Sommer (Cary, N.C.) to tie the set. MIT replied with a block by Echarte and Sadati which kicked off a 12-5 set-ending run.
- Set 3: The Bears won the first four points of the set and later established an 18-13 advantage courtesy of a kill from first-year Amelia Matson (Stafford, Va.). The Engineers chipped away at the deficit as a kill by sophomore Kayleigh May (Camarillo, Calif.) brought the hosts within 21-20. This was as close as it would get as Coast Guard captured the final four points of the frame.
- Set 4: MIT used a 12-3 run to take a 13-6 lead following a kill by May. The Bears stayed within striking distance as a four-point spurt narrowed the gap to 22-20. However, a serving error and a kill from Echarte resulted in match point. A hitting error kept Coast Guard alive but a kill by Gragg clinched the win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Gragg led all players with 13 kills and had 11 digs while Tolstova and Sadati both finished with 12 kills. May generated 46 assists and nine kills on 10 attempts as senior Ottavia Personeni (Bethesda, Md.) collected 22 digs. Junior Daphne Gavros (Bel Tiburon, Calif.) bolstered the Engineers' defense with 13 digs.
- Shaw and Matson both posted 10 kills as Shaw chipped in six blocks. Sophomore Sophia Rosenberg (Lebanon, Pa.) dished out 33 assists while sophomore Eloise Shirley (Burke, Va.) and Boose recorded eight blocks apiece.
UP NEXT:
- MIT continues NEWMAC play on Saturday, September 28 at Springfield College at 1:00 PM. Coast Guard returns to action on Friday, September 27 when it hosts the University of Hartford at 6:00 PM.
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