BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore Jon Roat (Macedon, N.Y.) led a trio of players who recorded double figured in kills as he had 13 to help pace the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's volleyball team to a 3-1 win over 13th-ranked MIT in non-conference action played at Tansey Gymnasium. The win snapped a 20-game series win streak for MIT which suffered its first loss to Wentworth since March 2, 2004.
With the win the Leopards improve to 3-2 on the season while the Engineers suffer their first defeat of the season, falling to 4-1.
MIT held a 10-5 lead in the opening set before Wentworth used a 9-1 run to take a 14-11 lead on an Engineer attack error. Sophomore Kevin McPeek (Bethlehem, Pa.) was on the serving line for Wentworth's last seven points of the run. The Engineers ended the run on a freshman Yize Dong (Moraga, Calif.) kill, however the Leopards scored five straight points to take a 19-12 lead on a sophomore Sean Mullen (Longwood, Fla.) kill. Wentworth extended its lead to as many as nine before MIT would come within seven at 23-16. However, an attacker error and an ace by Mullen ended the set.
Wentworth hit .241 for the set while forcing MIT to hit .000. Junior Mike Hansen (Rochester, N.Y.) had four blocks while Roat and junior Jake Reed (Arvada, Colo.) had four kills each. Dong led the Engineers with four kills.
The second set featured four ties in the early going before a 7-2 Wentworth run gave the hosts an 11-6 lead after a kill from Roat. The Leopards would lead by as many as 10 in the set (21-11) before MIT pulled within seven at 24-17 when Dong and sophomore Andrew Hall (Lynnfield, Mass.) teamed up for a block. Roat ended the set with a kill.
Wentworth hit .308 for the set with Roat and junior Alex Potts (Niverville, N.Y.) recording three kills and Mullen serving three aces. MIT got three kills from Reilly and two blocks from Hall in the set.
The two teams battled through a back and forth third set which featured 17 ties and five lead changes. The last tie came at 23-all when the Leopards knotted the score on an MIT attack error, however Wentworth was unable to end the match as the Engineers got a kill from Hall and junior Suyash Fulay (Wexford, Pa.) service ace to take the set by a 25-23 score. Freshman Skyler Kaufman (Needham, Mass.) and Reed had four kills each for their respective teams.
Looking to extend the match into a fifth set, MIT overcame an early Wentworth lead by using a 9-3 run to turn a 7-4 deficit into a 13-10 lead after a Kaufman kill. A kill from Mullen and an attack error knotted the score at 13-all and the score would be tied three more times before the Engineers would lead by as many as three (21-18). Trailing 22-20, Wentworth scored the last five points of the set to take a 25-22 win and clinch the match. Roat (five kills) and Hansen (three blocks) paced the Leopards in the set while Reilly's four kills led the visitors.
Roat hit .385 (13-3-26) on the night and recorded three blocks. Potts and Reed had 11 kills each with Reed recording five blocks and Potts three. Mullen had nine kills, five aces, and four blocks, McPeek had 36 assists and junior Mike Rogachefsky (Rochester, N.Y.) had 17 digs.
Dong and Kaufman had nine kills and two blocks each for MIT while Reilly added eight kills. Fulay had 20 assists and three aces.
Wentworth hosts Albertus Magnus in its Great Northeast Athletic Conference opener on Thursday. MIT hosts Bard on Friday night.
