SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The No. 16 MIT women's volleyball team swept Middlebury College (25-17, 25-16, 25-18) and Williams College (25-17, 25-19, 25-20) to capture the New England Challenge title on Saturday at Springfield College. This was the fourth year in a row the Engineers won the tournament and sixth time overall.
Ali Gibbs was named the Tournament MVP and
Kayleigh May earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
THE BASICS:
- Scores:
- No. 16 MIT 3, Middlebury 0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-18)
- No. 16 MIT 3, Williams 0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-20)
- Records: No. 16 MIT (19-3 Overall); Middlebury (11-10 Overall); Williams (16-6 Overall)
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH ONE vs. Middlebury:
- Set 1: Trailing 10-9, a kill by Gibbs kicked off a five-point burst that put MIT ahead for good. Middlebury stayed close as a block brought it within 17-15. However, a kill by May sparked an 8-2 run that was capped by a block from Eileen Sadati.
- Set 2: The Panthers built a 12-6 lead, but the Engineers chipped away at the deficit and eventually won the set, 25-16, following a pair of errors.
- Set 3: After seven ties and three lead changes, two hitting errors gave MIT a 14-12 edge. Both teams traded points until kills by Claire Underwood and Sadati as well as back-to-back kills from Jessie Trapp gave the Engineers a 19-14 cushion. MIT maintained the small lead en route to a 25-18 win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Underwood led all players with nine kills and added two blocks as Gibbs and Trapp both posted six kills.
- Sadati finished with six kills, two blocks, and two aces while May generated 27 assists and eight digs.
- Lexi Foland paced the Engineers with 10 digs, followed by nine from Daphne Gavros.
- Sophia Song contributed eight digs and two aces as Jennifer Cen produced three blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH TWO vs. Williams:
- Set 1: MIT built an 11-5 lead, but Williams trimmed the deficit to 13-10 on a hitting error. The Engineers replied with a kill from Gibbs, sparking an 8-1 run that was capped by an ace from May. The Ephs picked up six of the next seven points to come within 22-17; however, a trio of errors clinched the win for MIT.
- Set 2: The Engineers used a 7-2 burst to establish a 20-12 advantage, but Williams responded with five straight points. MIT countered with a 4-1 spurt as Sadati's kill resulted in set point at 24-18. A kill extended the frame for the Ephs, but another Sadati kill secured the victory.
- Set 3: The Engineers used an 8-2 run to create a 16-10 advantage after a block by Underwood and Cen. MIT maintained a small cushion down the stretch as a serving error gave it match point at 24-17. Williams won the next three points, but a kill by Gibbs thwarted the late rally and captured the match.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Underwood recorded a match-high 15 kills and had three blocks as Sadati registered 10 kills and .368 hitting performance
- Gibbs posted seven kills and three blocks while Cen chipped in a career-high seven kills on 11 errorless attempts.
- May compiled 33 assists, eight digs, and three blocks as Gavros led all players with 14 digs and earned two aces.
- Song bolstered the back row with 10 digs.
UP NEXT:
- MIT resumes NEWMAC play when it visits Wellesley College on Tuesday, October 28 for a 7:00 PM match.
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