Volleyball beats Elms College
MIT, ranked 13th, still undefeated in conference
William B. Evans ’14 registered a match-high 11 kills and five aces in MIT’s 25-12, 25-18, 25-17 victory over Elms College in a North East Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) New England Division men’s volleyball match on Tuesday night. With the win, the nationally-ranked No. 13 Engineers improved to 19-5 on the year and 12-0 in conference play.
MIT raced out to a 16-4 lead in the first set. Following the second timeout called by Elms, both squads traded points until a service error and back-to-back kills from the Blazers made the score 21-11. The Engineers posted four of the final five points to close out the set.
After opening the second frame with a pair of hitting errors, MIT called a timeout. Following the break, the Cardinal and Gray rattled off five unanswered points, which prompted a timeout by Elms. A block by Elms ended the Engineers’ run and helped keep the visitors within striking distance for most of the set. Trailing 17-11, the Blazers put together a 4-1 spurt which narrowed their gap to three for the fourth time. MIT countered with a 7-3 run to wrap up the game. On set point, Kenneth M. Siebert ’14 made a diving one-armed dig, which was tipped over by David R. Thomas ’12 with his back to the net.
The Engineers carried the momentum into the final set as they quickly established a 15-6 advantage. Elms battled back, eventually coming within five (19-14). MIT picked up five of the next seven points, resulting in match point. However, a strike by Elms off the Engineers’ block extended the frame, but a tip by Matthew P. Hohenberger ’13 on the next point secured the victory.
Hohenberger finished with nine kills, two blocks, and two aces as Thomas totaled nine kills and three blocks. Patrick J. Vatterott ’13 bolstered Tech’s attack with eight kills while Garrett L. Winther ’11 notched a pair of blocks. Caine L. Jette ’10 paced the defense with five kills, followed by four from Daniel C. Sngiem ’12, Evans, and Siebert. Timothy R. Lee ’11 compiled 32 assists, four digs, and two aces as Evan P. Wang ’14 dished out four assists.
The Engineers return to action on Friday, March 4, when they host the MIT Invitational.