Game 1: MIT 3, Babson 0
No.1 MIT remains undefeated after sweeping No.5 Babson in Saturday’s NEWMAC Women’s Volleyball Semifinals. The nationally ranked Engineers advance to the conference championship by set scores of 25-19, 25-22, and 25-15.
MIT opened on a three-point run against the Beavers, but the first set was hard-fought with five tied scores. Babson’s Angelina Holm (Denver, Colo.), Isabella Allen (Williamsville, N.Y.), and Lauren Gips (Winter Park, Fla.) each contributed four kills in the opening set, while MIT’s Julia Tolstova (Redlands, Calif.) picked up four kills of her own to push the Engineers ahead.
Babson was off to a rolling start in the second, leading MIT by four. However, with five service errors, Babson began to slowly fall behind in the second set. The Beavers continued putting in work on the defensive end to keep the scoreline close, with senior Tatum Stelter (Glendale, Ariz.) picking up 17 total digs for the afternoon. However, service aces and strong swings at the net were decisive for MIT.
Babson was off to a strong start in the third, a kill from Gips garnering a strong reaction from the crowd and forcing an MIT timeout. However, the Engineers were able to battle back and tie the set, followed by a 10-2 run. Senior Ella Gragg (Morganton, N.C.) contributed 3 kills and a service ace in the final set, helping to secure the win for the Engineers.
MIT will face No. 3 Smith in the championship match tomorrow at 1 PM.
Game 2: Smith 3, Springfield 2
No. 3 Smith pulled off a hard-fought reverse sweep of No. 2 Springfield in the NEWMAC Women’s Volleyball Semifinals, with set scores of 22-25, 23-25, 26-24, 25-23, and 15-10. The Pioneers will face No.1 MIT in the championship match on Sunday.
Smith was off to a hot start in the first set, backed by a boisterous out-of-town crowd. Abby Hunt (Mandeville, La.) and Mia Etheridge (Half Moon Bay, Calif.) took turns scoring for the No. 3 seed.
However, Springfield kept their composure, with strong swings from middle Maeve Voltz (Bay Shore, N.Y.) and outside hitter Riley Donahue (South Windsor, Conn.) to disrupt the Pioneers’ momentum. Smith’s service errors would also aid Springfield, ultimately giving the tight set, tied up nine different times, to the Pride.
Smith opened the scoring in the second set with a 6-2 lead, capitalizing on four Springfield attacking errors. Etheridge and Hunt continued with kills for the Pioneers, while graduate student Taylor Gwynne (Chapel Hill, N.C.) dumped over the net for some crafty points. Springfield libero Kristen DeLorenzo (Syracuse, N.Y.) executed a run of well-placed service to give the Pride a cushioned lead. That lead and a service ace from DeLorenzo would ultimately give Springfield the set.
The teams played in a close third set, senior Abby Sweeney (Spring, Texas) getting up to the net to help Smith to a 6-1 opening run. Springfield first-year Karenna Allain (Woodbridge, Conn.) answered, making an impact with her service game and taking the Pride on a 7-0 run. In the end, it would again be Springfield attacking errors to ultimately give their opponents room to work and win the third set.
Smith was again first out of the gate in the fourth, but would not be followed by Springfield’s response. Sophomore Ruth Tullis (Edmond, Okla.) led in digs for Smith, while Sweeney and Hunt fought for a whopping five and eight kills respectively, pulling away from the Pride.
The fifth set was all Smith, forcing a Springfield timeout as the Pioneers pulled away to 4-1 run. Sarah Dankovich (El Paso, Texas) led the team in aces both in the set and for the night, not giving Springfield’s offense the opportunity to set up and helping Smith to the win.
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with four Associate Members: Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports.