CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 8 MIT women's volleyball battled Brandeis University for a 25-19, 25-23, 19-25, 25-14 victory during the opening night of the MIT Invitational on Friday.
Ella Zhou powered the Engineers with 14 kills, 13 digs, and three aces while Alexa Ho compiled 28 assists, seven digs, four blocks, and three aces for the Judges.
THE BASICS:
- Score: No. 8 MIT 3, Brandeis 0 (25-19, 25-23, 19-25, 25-14)
- Records: No. 8 MIT (4-0 Overall); Brandeis (3-2 Overall)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Set 1: The opening frame featured nine ties and four lead changes. Trailing 15-13, a kill by Zhou sparked a 7-1 run that put MIT ahead for good. The Engineers maintained a small cushion as a block by Eileen Sadati and Ali Gibbs secured the 25-19 victory.
- Set 2: The second stanza was tightly played as there were eight ties and one lead change. An ace by Ho evened the score at 21, but a kill from Jessie Trapp coupled with a Brandeis hitting error gave the hosts a slight edge. Both teams went on to trade points as a kill by Anna Ertischek brought the Judges within 24-23. MIT replied with a kill from Sadati, thwarting the comeback attempt.
- Set 3: Brandeis claimed four of the first five points and saw its lead grow to 14-7 after a kill by Colette Ejang. MIT chipped away at the deficit as a hitting error narrowed the gap to 19-16. Both teams traded serving errors before the Judges put together a 5-2 burst as a block by Claudia Aber clinched a 25-19 win.
- Set 4: A kill by Sadati ignited a 15-6 run that created a 17-9 advantage for the Engineers. MIT maintained its comfortable lead en route to a 25-14 victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Sadati led all players with a career-high 18 kills while hitting .344.
- Trapp posted 12 kills as Kayleigh May distributed 42 assists.
- Daphne Gavros collected a match-high 14 digs and added two aces while Sophia Song produced eight digs and three aces.
- Ertischek finished with 12 digs for Brandeis, followed by 11 from Madison Haft-Abromovitch.
- Lara Demoraes and Ava Ferrigno both notched 10 digs while Ejang amassed eight blocks.
UP NEXT:
- Both teams return to action on Saturday, September 6 to close out the MIT Invitational.
- The Engineers will face Suffolk University at 11:00 AM followed by Connecticut College at 3:00 PM.
- The Judges, meanwhile, will take on Connecticut College at 11:00 AM.
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