Box Score WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – A true Jumbo team effort allowed the volleyball team down local rival and No. 15 MIT at the New England Challenge hosted by Williams on Friday evening. The Jumbos got kills from nine different players, including ten from junior Mackenzie Bright, in the 3-1 win.
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| Angela Yu finished with a career-high seven service aces on Friday night |
The Jumbos won 25-16, 22-25, 25-9, 25-20 and with the win improve to 16-5 this season. The loss is only the second of the year for the Engineers (22-2), who were ranked No. 15 in the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association national poll. MIT was ranked second in the recently released NCAA New England regional rankings, and the Jumbos were No. 6.
Tufts jumped out to an early lead in the first set, and held that lead for the duration of the set. The Engineers would come within one, 10-9, midway through the set, but a kill from sophomore Christina Nwankpa and an ace from senior captain Alex Garrett gave the Jumbos a three point lead again. They would hold on to that lead for a 25-16 win in set one.
The Engineers evened it up with a win of their own in set two. Six points early behind the serve of Alli Davanzo gave them a 6-2 advantage early. The Jumbos had a little run of their own, scoring five points with sophomore Rachel Furash serving, to take a lead of their own, 11-9. And that was the way the set would go, as it was tied six more times. With things locked at 21 the Engineers got kills from Alexis Groark and Andie Maloney. After both the Engineers and the Jumbos turned in attack errors, Groark sealed the 25-22 win with a kill.
The third set was all Tufts. After the Engineers took an early 5-2 lead the Jumbos scored 11 points behind the serve of Brigid Bell to take a 12-5 lead. They would allow the Engineers just four more points the duration of the set, as they cruised to a 25-9 win in set three.
The final set once again started with a Jumbo lead and they would lead by as many as six early in the set. MIT came within one, 16-15, but the Jumbos would build that lead back up to five and won the fourth set, 25-20, to seal the 3-1 match victory.
Bright was the offensive leader with ten kills in 20 attempts with just two errors for a .400 hitting percentage on the evening. She also added two blocks to her night. Sophomore Maddie Stewart added nine kills and two blocks and Nwankpa finished with six kills and four blocks. Sophomore Heather Holz finishd with a match-high five blocks and three kills. The Jumbos finished with a season-high 14 service aces, including a career-high seven from junior Angela Yu. Sophomore Brigid Bell, classmate Kelly Klimo and Garrett all finished with eight digs to lead the Jumbo defense. Furash and Yu took care of the setting, finishing with 18 and 17 assists, respectively.
Abby Bertics led the MIT offense with 15 kills. Andie Maloney finished with nine digs and Carly Silvernale and Madison Lee both helped with eight each. Maloney ran the offense, turning in 28 assists.
Both the Jumbos and the Engineers continue play in the New England Challenge tomorrow. The Jumbos take on Babson at 11 am and Springfield at 3:30 pm. MIT will play Williams at 11 am and Middlebury at 3:30 pm.
