#10 Men's Volleyball Sweeps MIT, Falls to New Paltz St. in Five

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In non-conference tri-match action on Saturday, the No. 10-ranked Wentworth Institute of Technology men's volleyball team (15-4) suffered a five-set setback to the New Paltz State Hawks (10-9) before sweeping the MIT Engineers (10-10) in a tightly-contested affair.

MATCH ONE: NEW PALTZ ST. 3, NO. 10 WENTWORTH 2

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A finish by Benjamin Moughon marked a 3-3 knot in the first set before New Paltz St. pulled away to an 11-4 lead. A kill by Ian Babcock later marked a 15-10 deficit for the Leopards before the Hawks stretched their lead to 19-10. Despite late kills from Conner Foxwell and Mason Andrade, New Paltz St. held on for a 25-21 set win.
• Kills by Babcock and Foxwell marked respective 4-3 and 5-4 leads for the Leopards in the second set before three finishes in a matter of six points from Nicolai Bell continued Wentworth's lead to 12-8. Two straight kills from Andrade helped pace the lead to 18-12 before two kills by Babcock and one apiece by Bell and Andrade earned the Leopards a 25-16 set win.
• Finishes by Moughon and Foxwell marked a 6-3 lead for the Leopards in the third frame before a kill by Alem Dubcak marked an 8-4 score later on. New Paltz St. tightened the gap until another kill from Babock marked a 13-11 advantage for Wentworth. Kills from Dubcak and Andrade helped continue the lead to 18-15 before the two teams juked it out tightly in the later going. A kill apiece from Andrade, Bell, and Foxwell claimed the Leopards a 25-20 set win.
• New Paltz St. clung on to two-point leads early in the fourth set, working the score to 9-7 capped from a Babcock kill. The Hawks pulled away with a 17-11 lead later on before a Bell kill cut the deficit to one. An Andrade kill marked a 19-13 lead for the Hawks before, after a 5-0 run for Wentworth in the later going, the Hawks held on for a 25-20 set win.
• The two teams swapped scores to open the fifth set, with two Andrade kills marking a 7-7 tie. A Babcock kill marked a 9-8 edge for the Leopards before the Hawks rallied to take a 13-9 lead, eventually holding on for a 15-11 set win after two kills from Wentworth.  

SERIES NOTES:

• The Leopards have won two of the last three matchups between the two teams.

MATCH TWO: NO.10 WENTWORTH 3, MIT 0

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Despite a 7-4 lead for the Engineers in the first frame, the Leopards knotted the score at seven-all on a Bell kill before later taking a 13-12 edge on a Sam Etter finish. Wentworth held their one-point lead all the way to an 18-17 score before a finish by Matthew Zegowitz marked a 20-18 set. MIT pulled back, tying the set at 22 aside, but two kills from Etter and another from Jacob Waga helped Wentworth claim a 28-26.
• The two teams swapped scores to start the second set before MIT pulled away at 10-7. A finish by Waga cut the deficit at 13-12 before a 7-1 run later in the set, most consisting of errors, gave the Leopards a 19-14 lead. Two finishes by Andrew Ahn and another by Waga guided the Black & Gold to a 25-19 set win.
• The two teams again traded points in the start of the third set, with an Ahn kill marking  a 6-5 edge before two kills from Etter later marked an 11-11 draw. The Engineers later pulled away at a 20-15 score before Wentworth clawed back to take a 23-22 edge on three straight kills. Errors slewed the Engineers in the later going, giving the Leopards a 28-26 decisive set.

SERIES NOTES:

• The Black & Gold have won two straight matchup between the two teams.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth hosts Dean and Elms in a conference tri-match on Saturday, March 15.
  

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