By: MIT Athletics
Led by double-digit kills by a career-high 13 kills by Brett Allen (San Jose, Calif.) and 11 kills by Nicholas Gustafson (San Diego, Calif.), the MIT men's volleyball team picked up a win over Emerson College in straight sets by scores of 25-19, 25-17, 25-16.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- MIT trailed 10-9 in the opening set but ripped off seven straight points to go ahead by a 16-10 score. The run by MIT in the first was piloted by two service aces by Allen, two kills by Steve Timberman (Merrick. N.Y.), two kills by Jacob Gasparich (New Lenox, Ill.) and a single kill by Gustafson. Emerson got as close as two at 19-17 late in the set, but the Engineers scored six of the set's final eight points for the 25-19 win. MIT scored the final four points of the set on a kill by Timberman, two kills by Gustafson and an error by the host Lions.
- The second set was even at 16-16 before the Engineers went on a 9-1 run to end the set with a 25-17 score. The set ending run featured two kills and an ace by Allen, two kills by Timberman, a kill by Steven Serrano (Oak Lawn, Ill.) and an assisted by block by Allen and Gasparich.
- Tied at 5-5 early in the third, MIT produced a 10-1 run to go ahead 15-6. The huge run in the set featured two kills by Allen, one kill by both Dylan Ryan (Oviedo, Calif.) and Bradley Albright (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) as well as a solo block by Gapsparich. Emerson attempted to climb back into the match late in the set with a 7-3 run of its own, but a swing by Albright ended the set 25-16 and the match 3-0.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Allen led MIT with 13 kills on 26 swings to go along with four service aces and Gustafson added 11 kills on 27 swings for the Engineers. Gasparich and Timberman both registered seven kills apiece for the visitors, while Ryan posted five kills for a hitting percentage of .571. Michael Kulinski (New Lenox, Ill.) dished out 27 assists, while in his first collegiate match Albert Luo (Dallas, Texas) notched 12 helpers.
- Defensively, MIT was led by Thomas Nelson (San Ramon, Calif.) who registered 16 digs, while Gasparich notched the match's only solo block.
- MIT led statistically in kills (48-23), hitting percentage (.319-.147), assists (44-22) and digs (37-22).
- The Engineers came into tonight's match receiving votes in the latest AVCA Division III National Poll.
UP NEXT:
- MIT will travel to Beverly, Mass. tomorrow for a tri-match. The Engineers will play No. 13 Endicott College at 11:00 am before taking on Johnson & Wales University at 1:00 pm.