CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In a non-conference men's volleyball match, MIT registered a 25-11, 25-9, 25-9 victory over Mount Ida in Rockwell Cage on Tuesday night.
Senior James Ames (West Hartford, Conn.) paced the Mustangs (2-9) with six kills and five digs.
Sophomore Andrew Hall (Lynnfield, Mass.) generated a career-high 12 kills on a .750 hitting effort to go along with six blocks for the Engineers (12-4).
MIT jumped out to a 14-4 lead in the opening set as a block by freshmen Skyler Kaufman (Needham, Mass.) and Matt Reilly (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) prompted a timeout by Mount Ida. An exchange of sideouts occurred once action resumed but two miscues by the Engineers along with a pair of aces from Mustang senior Jimmy Wessel (DeKalb, Ill.) narrowed the gap to 16-8. MIT replied with a 9-3 run, ending the set on a kill by junior Martin Krasuski (Aurora, Ill.).
With the second stanza tied at two, the Cardinal and Gray gained some breathing room by registering the next four points. Mount Ida stayed within striking distance as it came within three on four occasions, the last at 10-7 courtesy of an MIT serving error. The hosts responded with a kill by Reilly, igniting a stretch of 14 unanswered points. A hitting error by the Engineers coupled with an Ames kill extended the frame; however, a kill by Hall secured the win for MIT.
MIT quickly established an 8-2 advantage in the third set on an ace from junior Jordan Lucier (Torrance, Calif.). A kill by Ames broke up the run but the Engineers increased their margin following a serving error. Ames replied with another kill, trimming the deficit to 9-4. MIT capitalized on a serving miscue by the Mustangs that sparked a 16-5 match-ending run.
Junior Peter Griffenkranz (Deer Park, N.Y.) recorded four digs, three kills, and a block while freshman TJ Nicholas (Shelton, Conn.) bolstered the visitors' attack with three kills. Wessel ended the night with nine assists and two aces.
Kaufman posted seven kills, while Reilly notched five kills and two blocks. Lucier finished with two aces and a match-high nine digs while junior Suyash Fulay (Wexford, Pa.) chipped in six digs. Freshman Yize Dong (Moraga, Calif.) tallied 29 assists, four aces, and two blocks as senior Brendan Chang (Laytonsville, Md.) rounded out the squad with four digs.
Next up for Mount Ida will be a tri-match versus York College (N.Y.) at John Jay College on Saturday, Feb. 20.
After an 11-day hiatus, MIT returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 27 with a trip to Elms College where it will also play Newbury College.