BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore Ken Siebert (St. Louis, Mo.) recorded 13 kills, five digs, and four aces, while senior David Thomas (Carlsbad, Calif.) added 11 kills, eight digs, and four aces as the ninth-ranked MIT men's volleyball team defeated Wentworth, 3-1, in the season-opening match for both squads.
The opening game was a see-saw battle that featured no team leading by more than three points at any time and a total of nine ties. Wentworth would force the last tie at 16-all; however, the Engineers would score the next nine points to take a 1-0 lead with a 25-16, first set win.
The Leopards jumped out to an early, 7-1 lead in the second game, keyed by a kill and a block from sophomore Mike Buonincontra (Shelton, Conn.) The Black & Gold would lead by as many as eight on three occasions and would even up the match with a 25-21 triumph.
Wentworth held early leads of 9-5 and 11-8 in the third game and would lead, 18-14. The Engineers mounted a comeback and tied the game at 21-all on a service ace by Thomas, who would then serve the final four points of the game to give the visitors a 25-21 win and a 2-1 lead.
Needing a win in the fourth game to keep the match alive, Wentworth took a 3-1 lead in the early stages of the frame. The Engineers scored the next three points to lead, 4-3, before an error tied the game for the Leopards. MIT used a 11-5 spurt to take a 15-9 lead, and, after the Leopards cut the lead to 20-16, the Engineers recorded the final five points to take the match.
Siebert and Thomas also added two blocks apiece for MIT, who also received nine kills from freshman Alex Klein (San Diego, Calif.), nine digs from senior Jeremy Velazquez (Chelmsford, Mass.) , and 27 assists from sophomore Paul Syta (Fairport, N.Y.).
Sophomore Ross Burdett (Needham, Mass.) paced the Leopards with 13 kills, while freshman Rami Akouri (Fall River, Mass.) had nine kills and 12 digs. Buonincontra had six kills, four blocks, and seven digs and junior Tyler Moriarty (Wilbraham, Mass.) had eight digs and 30 assists.
MIT (1-0) is at the Nazareth College Invitational this weekend, while Wentworth (0-1) is also on the road that day, traveling to CCNY and Lehman.
April 17, 2012
Burdett, Moriarty Earn GNAC Honors
April 10, 2012
Men's Volleyball Falls to Albertus Magnus
April 7, 2012
Men's Volleyball Ends Regular Season With Split
April 5, 2012
Rivier Sweeps Men's Volleyball
April 3, 2012
Men's Volleyball Drops 3-0 Decision to Emmanel
March 31, 2012
Men's Volleyball Splits Tri-Match
March 29, 2012
Men's Volleyball Falls to Emerson
March 27, 2012
Men's Volleyball Snaps Losing Streak
March 24, 2012
Men's Volleyball Competes at Springfield Invitational
March 20, 2012
Johnson & Wales Rallies Past Men's Volleyball
March 15, 2012
Men's Volleyball Notches Second Straight Win
March 13, 2012
Men's Volleyball Rallies for 3-2 Win
February 25, 2012
Men's Volleyball Splits at Vassar
February 22, 2012
Men Volleyball Beats Lasell
February 15, 2012
Men's Volleyball Sweeps Mount Ida
February 14, 2012
Burdett Named GNAC Player of the Week
February 11, 2012
Men's Volleyball Splits Two Matches
February 9, 2012
Men's Volleyball Snaps Losing Streak
February 7, 2012
Men's Volleyball Falls Short to Emmanuel
February 3, 2012
Rivier Sweeps Men's Volleyball
January 28, 2012
Men's Volleyball Takes Two Matches
January 26, 2012
Men's Volleyball Notches First Win
January 24, 2012
Men's Volleyball Opens 2012 Campaign
August 23, 2011
Evin Giglio Named Head Men's Volleyball Coach