CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The No. 16 MIT men's volleyball team battled Hobart College for a 29-27, 25-15, 25-22 United Volleyball Conference (UVC) victory on Wednesday night in Rockwell Cage.
Henry Garewal powered the Engineers with a match-high 10 kills while hitting .421 and led the way with seven digs while Noah DeLong tallied nine kills, a .529 hitting performance, two blocks, and two aces for the Statesmen.
THE BASICS:
- Score: No. 16 MIT 3, Hobart 0 (29-27, 25-15, 25-22)
- Records: No. 16 MIT (16-5 Overall, 4-1 UVC); Hobart (10-10 Overall, 4-1 UVC)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Set 1: The opening frame was tightly played as there were 16 ties and four lead changes. Trailing 17-13, MIT rattled off five straight points as kill from Garewal put the Engineers in front, 18-17. The back-and-forth play resumed until a kill by Daniel Sappia gave Hobart a 26-25 edge. Back-to-back errors returned the lead to MIT, but another kill from Sappia evened the score at 27. The Engineers capitalized on a serving error and a block by Matthew Louis and Colin Zimmerman to secure the win.
- Set 2: Holding a 9-6 lead, a hitting error from the Statesmen sparked a 9-3 run by MIT. The hosts maintained their comfortable cushion, reaching set point at 24-14 courtesy of Garewal's kill. A hitting miscue extended the frame for Hobart; however, Maddox Brandenburg responded with a kill of his own to capture the victory.
- Set 3: The Engineers inched out to an 8-6 lead following kills from Nate Toth, Brandenburg, and Garewal. The Statesmen stayed within striking distance as they tied the frame twice, the last at 19-19 on an ace from DeLong. MIT replied with a four-point burst that was capped by a Louis ace. Hobart trimmed its deficit to 23-21 after a pair of errors by the Engineers. Following its own timeout, MIT claimed match point on a block by Brandenburg and Zimmerman. A serving error kept the Statesmen alive, but a serving miscue resulted in a 25-22 win for the Engineers.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Toth finished with eight kills and a .385 hitting percentage as Zimmerman compiled 27 assists, three aces, and two blocks.
- Louis ended the night with three blocks and three aces.
- Sappia posted seven kills, a .353 hitting performance, and six digs while Zach Farren dished out nine assists.
- Alain Malcolm bolstered the defense with three blocks.
UP NEXT:
- MIT will host Illinois Institute of Technology on Thursday, March 19 at 7:00 PM.
- Hobart continues its road trip on Friday, March 20 when it plays No. 15 Wentworth Institute of Technology at 6:00 PM.
STAY CONNECTED:
