CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 9 MIT battled Franklin & Marshall College for a 25-23, 25-22, 25-19 victory in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship on Friday night. Eileen Sadati led all players with 12 kills while hitting .545 percent as Coco Shultz powered the Diplomats with nine kills and eight digs. With the win, the Engineers secured a spot in the regional final for the fifth year in a row and the ninth time in program history.
 
Franklin & Marshall captured the first three points in set one and later held an 8-4 lead courtesy of a kill by Schultz. MIT battled back as a four-point burst gave it a 12-11 edge. Six ties and two lead changes ensued until a Sadati kill and an ace by Daphne Gavros put the Engineers up 22-20. A serving error resulted in both teams trading points as a kill from Ali Gibbs secured the 25-23 win.

MIT won four of the first five points in set two and later held a 12-5 advantage. Franklin & Marshall responded with a kill from Schultz, sparking an 11-4 run to tie the set. Following seven ties and four lead changes, a hitting error, a Gavros ace, and a block by Gibbs and Sadati clinched the 25-22 victory.

A kill from Sadati kicked off a four-point burst that put the Engineers in front, 7-4, in the third set. MIT maintained a small cushion until two Melissa Benkowitz kills and an ace by Abby Slinski narrowed the gap to 10-9. The Engineers replied with a kill from Ella Zhou, starting another four-point spurt as the hosts gradually pulled away and won the match at 25-19 on a kill by Claire Underwood.

Zhou posted nine kills and a match-high 12 digs while Gibbs recorded nine kills and two blocks.

Underwood finished with eight kills and three blocks as Kayleigh May totaled 33 assists and seven digs. Gavros bolstered the back row with 11 digs to go along with two aces.

Benkowitz produced nine kills and two aces as Ceci Connolly notched seven kills and three blocks. Liah Perez dished out 15 assists while Carly Campbell tallied 12 assists, eight digs, and two aces.

This was the second meeting between the programs and the first since 2001, which saw the Engineers outlast the Diplomats in five sets at the Franklin & Marshall Tournament.

MIT will host No. 11 Trinity University (Texas) in the regional final of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, November 22, at 5:00 PM.

This will be the second postseason meeting between the programs and fifth overall. The last NCAA Tournament meeting occurred in the quarterfinals of the 2022 championship where the Tigers defeated the Engineers in three sets.

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 eight Associate Members: Brandeis University (Women's Lacrosse, 2026-2027), New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 20 sports.