Posted: Sep 07, 2021
BOSTON – Suffolk volleyball fell in its home opener to MIT, 3-0, Tuesday night at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 0 | MIT 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (2-2) | MIT (4-0)
SET ONE RECAP (25-9, MIT)
- The scored tied three times and the lead swapped four times with the last coming in favor of MIT.
- From there the visitors zoomed out on a 7-1 stretch to put the blue-and-gold in an 11-4 hole.
- Alina Nowakowski and Julia Leavey paired up for a huge block assist out of the huddle and Jayla Martinez threw down a kill two possessions later to keep the hosts within seven, 13-6.
- Suffolk would not get any closer as MIT made it a double-digit distance, 17-7, that the Rams could not comeback from.
SET TWO RECAP (25-18, MIT)
- Things remained closer for longer in the middle stanza as the score was deadlocked at 6-all.
- The Engineers put together a 7-2 spurt which forced a Suffolk timeout with the Rams down, 13-8.
- MIT may have scored the first point out of the huddle, but the Rams managed to put up the next three points to keep things interesting. The rally featured a kill from Isabelle Huzar, an ace from Morgan Kelsey and a block by Nowakowski.
- Those three consecutive points forced MIT to use a timeout, which helped the visitors build a 10-14 cushion.
- Suffolk its second timeout of the stanza, but it did not slow down the Engineers.
SET THREE RECAP (25-16, MIT)
- Suffolk's saw some of its best chances in the third set and led twice by three points with its last coming at 8-5.
- MIT surged back, leveled the playing field at 9-all, before taking the lead back, 10-9.
- The Engineers built a 12-9 edge that bloomed into a 19-11 advantage, which caused Scott Blanchard to use his second timeout of the set.
- A Rams rally did come and pulled the hosts back within seven on multiple occasions, however MIT kept a true comeback at bay to lock things up.
STATISCALLY SPEAKING
- Suffolk's 21-kill offense was well balanced with Jasmine James (6), Nowakowski (5) and McKenna Keowen (4) consistent contributors on the attack, which was primary set up by Harmony Johnson, who finished with 17 assists.
- Kelsey and Keowen held down the defense with 13 digs and nine digs, respectively.
- At the net, Nowakowski's three blocks led the 11-block effort.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk and MIT renewed a rivalry, meeting for the first time since 2011 and third time overall.
- The Rams and Engineers faced off at Suffolk's home court for the first time in the all-time series.
POST-MATCH PIC
COMING UP
Suffolk heads out to the Union Invitational this weekend where it will take on Skidmore, Springfield, Williams and the hosts Union.
