NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - The Simmons College women's volleyball team was beaten by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 3-1 (25-9, 21-25, 25-21, 25-18) this afternoon in a tri-match with Smith College this afternoon at Ainsworth Gymnasium in Northampton, Mass. The Sharks fall to 3-6 on the season, while Engineers improve to 10-3.
MIT registered 10 team blocks on the day.
First year outside hitter Morgan Weeg (Goodyear, Ariz.) posted her fifth double-double of the year with 18 kills and 13 digs for Simmnons and added three aces and an assisted block. Rookie setter Kenna McCarthy (Shelter Island, N.Y.) handed out 31 assists to go with four digs, a kill an ace and a block, while senior libero Alex Itasaka (Bradford, Mass.) picked up 33 digs and fired a pair of aces.
The Engineers were led by senior outside hitter Megan Gebhard (Howell, Mich.), who spiked for 20 kills on a .309 hitting mark and tacked on six digs and two block assists. Sophomore setter Christina Liao (Warren, N.Y.) dished out 42 assists and got down for four digs and an ace. Senior libero Tori Wuthrich (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) led the defense with 21 digs and also came up with a service ace for MIT.
The Engineers opened up a 15-7 lead, before Weeg put down a kill to give Simmons some life at 15-8. MIT responded with nine unanswered points and 10 of the last 11 to close out the set. Junior middle hitter Alli Davzano (Saint John's, Fla.) served from the backline during the set-ending run for the Engineers.
The Sharks jumped out to an 11-4 cushion in the second set, paced by a pair of aces from Weeg and a kill. MIT came back with an 8-2 burst to cut the deficit to 13-12. Simmons scored the next four points, including a kill from junior rightside hitter Amber Peterson (Las Vegas, Nev.) to give them a 17-12 lead. The Sharks held the Engineers off for the remainder of the set, despite MIT closing to within 23-21 late in the frame.
The teams played within two points of each other for most of the third set, before the Engineers closed the door with a 25-21 decision. the Engineers and Sharks battled through most of the fourth set as well and Simmons pulled to within 20-18 following a kill by Weeg, but MIT reeled off five straight points including the deciding kill from first year middle hitter Shea Landeene (Phoenix, Ariz.), to take the set and the match.