Cambridge, Mass.-- Coming off of a 2-1 home conference weekend, volleyball looked to build on their strong showing while taking on three non-conference foes at the MIT quad match. Facing off against the host Engineers (#13 in New England) on Friday, the Ephs earned a 3-0 statement win (25-21, 25-16, 26-24). The victory, perhaps the most impressive so far of the season, comes as the team looks to build momentum in the run up into the NESCAC tournament.
The Ephs fell behind early in the first set, as the tough jump serving of MIT kept Williams back on its heels. A string of service errors by the Engineers would give the Ephs an opening, however, and they capitalized, willing themselves back into the game. Playing team-focused volleyball Williams was able to lean on their strong defense to prolong rallies and force MIT errors. Five Ephs tallied at least 5 digs in the match, with senior libero Aly McKinnon leading the way with 12 digs. First year Claire Miller was second on the team with 11 digs. Williams closed out the first set 25-21.
Having a team hitting percentage of only .111 in the first set (10 kills, 6 errors, 36 attempts), the Ephs looked to get their offense firing in the second set. In response the team nearly tripled their hitting percentage to .310 (10 kills, 1 error, 29 attempts). Three Ephs tied for the team lead with seven kills apiece: Sophomore Emily Doll (.364 hitting percentage), and first years Raea Rasmussen (.500 hitting percentage) and Miller. Williams rolled to the set victory 25-16.
In the third set MIT looked to bounce back and get back in the game. They took a lead at 16-14, although the Ephs would respond emphatically to tie the game at 16-16. The match turned into a battle of ball control, with each team serving tough, heavy serves. First year Holly Harper would lead the team with an impressive 5 aces in the match, while classmate Miller added in a further three. At the net the Williams block, while not always blocking for points, frustrated the hitters of the Engineers by putting the ball back on their side and forcing another possession. The Ephs were more often than not the winners of these lengthy rallies, and outlasted their opponents 26-24 to take the set and match victories.
Williams will now look to their second regionally ranked oppoenent in as many days, as they take on #1 ranked UMass-Boston at 11 am. The Beacons, currently on a 19 match win streak, will be another test as to just how far this Williams squad has come since the beginning of the season. The Ephs will wrap up the weekend later on Saturday by playing Western New England at 2 pm.
