MIT pulls three-peat with a perfect ledger
Women’s volleyball team wins the MIT Quad for a total of eight times
alexander c. bost—The Tech
For the third year in a row and eighth time in tournament history the MIT women’s volleyball team won the MIT Quad Tournament on Saturday, October 18. The Engineers (22-2) took top honors with a 3-0 ledger, followed by Colby College, SUNY Oneonta, and Western New England University. Megan E. Gebhard ’17 was named the Tournament MVP while Tori L. Wuthrich ’17 earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
In addition to recording the program’s 19th straight 20-win season, MIT also saw setter Nicole C. Gagnier ’15 surpass the 3,000 assist mark. She is the fifth player all-time to reach this milestone and the first since Amanda Morris ’08 during the 2007 season.
The Engineers opened the tournament by outlasting SUNY Oneonta, 25-17, 22-25, 22-25, 25-19, 15-7, on Friday night. Gebhard paced the squad with 17 kills and added three blocks while Jennifer L. Astrachan ’15 posted 14 kills and four aces. Gagnier tallied 37 assists, 13 digs, and eight blocks as Jennifer A. Glerum ’17 totaled a team-high 23 digs. Wuthrich collected 15 digs followed by 12 from freshman Clare Farley (La Jolla, Calif.) who also earned two aces. Lisette G. Tellez ’18 rounded out the back row with nine digs while Allison A. Davanzo ’18 and Meryl E. Gibbs ’16 notched six and four blocks, respectively.
On Saturday morning, the Engineers blanked Colby, 27-25, 25-21, 32-30. Gebhard led the way with a match-high 18 kills and tacked on two blocks as Astrachan totaled 13 kills, six digs, and two blocks. Gagnier earned a double-double on 39 assists and 14 digs while Wuthrich collected 15 digs. Farley had eight digs as Tellez notched six of her own. Glerum came up with six digs and a team-best three aces while Gibbs and Morgan R. Stewart ’15 both chipped in three blocks.
In the finale, MIT defeated Western New England, 25-16, 25-11, 21-25, 26-24. Astrachan powered the attack with 19 kills and a .405 hitting performance while Gebhard generated 16 kills, a .364 hitting effort, and two blocks. Gagnier tallied 44 assists, eight digs, and two blocks as Davanzo recorded five kills, four blocks, and three aces. Wuthrich led all players with 17 digs, followed by 13 from Farley. Glerum wrapped up the weekend with 12 digs and three aces.
The Engineers return to NEWMAC play on Tuesday, Oct. 21 when they host Babson College.