NASHUA, NH – After holding on for the first two set wins, the No. 17 MIT men's volleyball team cruised to a win in the third set to defeat Rivier 3-0 on Wednesday night at the Muldoon Center.
THE BASICS:
- Score: MIT 3, Rivier 0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-13)
- Records: MIT 5-0 Overall, Rivier 4-5 Overall
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Set 1: In a set that featured 11 ties and six lead changes, the Engineers were able to hold on for the win. A 6-1 run from the Raiders gave them a 16-12 lead, but MIT responded with a 5-1 run capped by an ace from Alexander Garrett to tie the match at 17. Rivier pulled ahead 22-19, but MIT went on a 7-2 run punctuated by a service ace from Jensen Fiskin to take set one, 26-24.
- Set 2: Just like the first set, set two featured 11 ties, but the Engineers were able to hold on to their lead with the Raiders only holding the lead once at 7-6. A kill from Maddox Brandenburg gave the visitors a 13-9 advantage, but the hosts eventually tied the match at 15 on a kill from Cade Barron. The Engineers quickly regained the lead as the teams went back-and-forth before a Brandenburg kill secured the 25-23 win for MIT.
- Set 3: A kill from Nate Toth gave the Engineers an 8-2 lead to open the set and he would secure the victory with a kill that gave MIT the 25-13 victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Garrett led the Engineers with 13 kills followed by Toth with 12. Toth also had a team-leading six digs.
- Matthew Louis finished the game with five kills and led the way with five blocks and two aces.
- Colin Zimmerman collected 16 assists while Nathaniel Black finished with 13 and Fiskin with seven.
- The Engineers hit .444 as a team and held the Raiders to a .125 hitting percentage.
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