NEW YORK, N.Y. – No. 5 MIT wrapped up the NYU Mid-September Invitational by defeating Wentworth Institute of Technology (25-12, 25-23, 17-25, 25-22) and the host Violets (25-21, 19-25, 25-20, 25-18) on Saturday. The victories resulted in head coach
Paul Dill recording his 800
th win at the helm of the women's volleyball program in addition to ranking 11
th all-time in NCAA Division III history in career wins.
THE BASICS:
- Scores:
- No. 5 MIT 3, Wentworth 1 (25-12, 25-23, 17-25, 25-22)
- No. 5 MIT 3, NYU 1 (25-21, 19-25, 25-20, 25-18)
- Records: No. 5 MIT (8-1 Overall); Wentworth (4-6 Overall); NYU (5-4 Overall)
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH ONE vs. Wentworth:
- Set 1: Trailing 5-4, a kill by Brennan Fritts ignited a 7-0 run that put MIT ahead for good. Wentworth narrowed the gap to three points on three occasions, the last at 13-10, however, a kill from Sabine Smith kicked off a 12-2 set-ending run for the Engineers.
- Set 2: MIT claimed the first five points and maintained a small lead until the Leopards put together a 7-1 run that resulted in a 19-17 lead. The Engineers countered with a 7-3 run as a hitting error gave them set point at 24-22. A kill extended the frame for Wentworth but a kill by Eileen Sadati clinched the win.
- Set 3: Wentworth jumped out to a 5-1 lead and maintained a small cushion until two Smith kills sandwiched a pair of Miller Grimes aces that brought MIT within 20-17. Following their own timeout, the Leopards rattled off five consecutive points to thwart the comeback attempt.
- Set 4: Wentworth once again established a 5-1 lead which grew to 15-9 after a block. The Engineers chipped away at the deficit and then used two aces by Julia Tolstova, a kill from Smith, and a setting error to go in front, 19-17. The Leopards capitalized on a kill and a hitting error to quickly tie the score, however, MIT eventually reached match point at 24-21 on a kill by Sadati. A hitting miscue kept Wentworth alive, but Sadati secured the win with another kill.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Smith led all players with 16 kills, followed by 13 from Fritts, and 11 by Sadati.
- Kayleigh May tallied 40 assists, seven digs, three blocks, and two aces as Sophia Song had a match-high 17 digs to go along with two aces.
- Tolstova finished with 11 digs and three aces while Grimes posted four blocks and two aces.
HOW IT HAPPENED – MATCH TWO vs. NYU:
- Set 1: Tied at 5-5, a four-point burst created some breathing room as MIT later built a 16-11 lead following a kill by Tolstova. NYU battled back, knotting the score twice, the last at 18-18 on a kill. However, a kill from Smith started a 7-3 set-ending run that was capped by a kill from Sadati.
- Set 2: Six consecutive points gave the Violets 8-4 lead, but the Engineers stayed close as they came within one point on two occasions, the last at 13-12 after back-to-back kills by Sadati. NYU responded with a 6-2 spurt, but MIT trimmed the deficit to 19-17 on a block by May and Jennifer Cen. The Engineers would not get any closer as the Violets generated another 6-2 run to win the set.
- Set 3: NYU jumped out to a 6-1 advantage and later held a 15-9 lead. A kill by Smith set off a string of five unanswered points but the Violets countered with a 4-1 run that moved the score to 19-15. MIT capitalized on a hitting error which sparked a 10-1 run as a kill by May completed the comeback.
- Set 4: The early stages were closely played as there were five ties and four lead changes. Knotted at 7-7, a serving error led to a 5-1 run for the visitors. NYU narrowed the gap to three points twice, the last at 18-15 courtesy of a kill. However, the Engineers claimed seven of the final 10 points to win the match.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Smith led the way with 19 kills and hit .395 while Sadati generated 15 kills and a .323 hitting performance.
- Tolstova registered 10 kills and 13 digs as May totaled 40 assists, 14 digs, and five blocks.
- Song collected 19 digs and eight assists while Grimes and Cen added seven and four blocks, respectively.
UP NEXT:
- MIT kicks off NEWMAC play when it hosts WPI on Tuesday, September 22 at 6:00 PM.
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