WALTHAM, Mass. – The nationally ranked No. 10 MIT women's volleyball team opened its season by battling Stevens Institute of Technology for an 18-25, 25-17, 25-15, 23-25, 15-8 victory at the Brandeis University Invitational on Friday night.
Julia Tolstova tallied 14 kills, 12 digs, and three blocks while
Sophia Song amassed a match-high 22 digs for the Engineers.
THE BASICS:
- Score: No. 10 MIT 3, Stevens 2 (18-25, 25-17, 25-15, 23-25, 15-8)
- Records: No. 10 MIT (1-0 Overall); Stevens (0-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Set 1: MIT jumped out to a 7-3 lead after a kill by Eileen Sadati, however, Stevens replied with a 6-1 burst to go in front. Following an exchange of points, a kill from Brennan Fritts gave the Engineers a 12-11 edge. Sparked by a block, the Ducks went on a 14-6 run to capture the set, 25-18.
- Set 2: A kill from Kayleigh May kicked off a 7-1 run that resulted in a 12-5 advantage. MIT maintained a small cushion as it reached set point at 24-16 on a Fritts ace. A kill extended the frame for Stevens, but Miller Grimes secured the win with a kill of her own.
- Set 3: After conceding the first point, the Engineers put together a 10-2 run to go ahead for good. MIT kept its comfortable margin as it eventually grew to 17-8 courtesy of two kills by Fritts and two aces from Grimes. The Ducks picked up the next three points, but the Engineers claimed set point at 24-14 on a kill by Grimes. Stevens capitalized on a serving error, however, Tolstova's kill clinched the set.
- Set 4: The Ducks inched out to a 4-1 lead, but the Engineers stayed close throughout the set as they came within one point 10 times, the last at 24-23 on a Fritts kill. Following its own timeout, Stevens responded with a kill to thwart the comeback attempt.
- Set 5: MIT established a 4-1 lead after a kill from Jennifer Cen, however, a serving error and a kill followed by an exchange of points kept the Ducks within striking distance. The Engineers then capitalized on a trio of errors and a kill by Fritts to build a 9-4 advantage. Stevens managed to trim the deficit to three points on two occasions, the last at 10-7. MIT replied with another four-point burst as a ball-handling error resulted in match point. A kill kept the Ducks alive, but Fritts won the match with a kill.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Fritts finished with 14 kills, eight digs, and three blocks as Sadati totaled 10 kills.
- May dished out 37 assists while Grimes recorded five blocks and four aces.
- Cen ended the day with five blocks as Adelyn Wyndham bolstered the defense with nine digs.
- The was the first meeting between both teams since 2013 and the third consecutive five-set match. Stevens took the victory in the last match up while MIT won in 2011.
UP NEXT:
- MIT wraps up the Brandeis Invitational with two matches on Saturday, Sept. 5. The Engineers will play Connecticut College at 11:00 AM and then take on Wentworth Institute of Technology at 1:00 PM.
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