MIT Hands Men's Volleyball First Loss of Season in Five Set Match

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. –The fifth-ranked Wentworth Institute of Technology men's volleyball team suffered its first defeat of the season, falling 3-2 to MIT in a road matchup Tuesday evening.

RECORDS

• Wentworth (9-1, 3-0 GNAC)
• MIT (8-3)

WENTWORTH STAT LEADERS:

• Kills –Jacob LaBouliere, 23; Hunter Oshman, 15
• Assists – Connor Adams, 45
• Digs – Phoenix Stebbins, 13; Connor Adams, 11
• Aces – Connor Adams, 3; Hunter Oshman, 2

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Leopards took the lead early, as two service aces and a kill from senior Connor Adams (Budd Lake, N.J.) helped Wentworth claim the first five points of the opening set. One kill each from junior Hunter Oshman (Pennington, N.J.) and sophomore Jacob LaBouliere (Pipersville, Pa.) gave the Leopards a 7-2 lead, but MIT came back with two straight points to get within three. Oshman came back with a kill and an ace, and junior Colin Stockton (Hummelstown, Pa.) added a kill to put Wentworth ahead by six. However, a 5-1 run from the Engineers narrowed the score to 11-9. With the difference still at two, another ace from Adams and a kill by graduate student David Marsh (Springfield, Mass.) were part of four straight points, giving the visitors a 17-11 lead. After MIT got within four once again, the Leopards closed out the set on a 7-1 run. LaBouliere, Stockton, and junior Alex McLane (Columbus, Ohio) all contributed with kills during the stretch, as Wentworth took a 25-16 victory in the first set.
• LaBouliere connected on a pair of kills to open the second as the teams played to a 2-2 score. After falling behind by two, a kill from Oshman and an ace from sophomore Anthony Krzykowski (Feeding Hills, Mass.) evened the score at seven. With the score tied at nine, the Engineers took control of the set by winning eight of the next 10 points. MIT's Grant Oh (Irvine, Calif.) led the charge with three kills during the span. Kills by Stockton, McLane, and sophomore Jacob Waga (East Northport, N.Y.) brought the Leopards within four points, but two more kills by Oh helped the Engineers win the set, taking the last four points and claiming a 25-17 victory to even the match at one set apiece.
• Back-to-back kills by LaBouliere gave Wentworth an early lead in the third, and Oshman added a kill shortly after as the Leopards took a 4-2 lead. An ace by Oshman and another kill from LaBouliere were key in an 8-1 run that gave Wentworth a 12-4 lead and put them in control. But MIT came back strongly themselves, winning six straight points to get within two. Following two more points from the Leopards, the Engineers won the next four to tie the set at 15-15. The teams then traded points and were tied at 17, but a kill by Oshman was the second of two straight points for the Leopards, forcing an MIT timeout. After a point by the Engineers coming out of the timeout, another LaBouliere kill along with an ace from sophomore Tyler Jack (San Jose, Calif.) guided the Leopards to three of four points to go ahead 22-19. MIT won two of the next three, as Wentworth took their own timeout. After the teams committed an attack error on each side, Oshman finished off the third set with a kill, giving the Leopards a 25-22 win and a 2-1 lead in the match.
• After kills by Marsh and LaBouliere put Wentworth ahead to open the fourth, the Engineers took the lead with two kills and an ace. After the Leopards tied it, MIT won seven of the next nine to take control of the set with a 10-5 lead. After the teams split the following few points, LaBouliere came through with two kills as Wentworth won three straight, as the Engineers took a timeout still leading 13-10. Kills by Oshman and LaBouliere pulled the Leopards closer, but Oh responded with a kills for MIT, giving them a three point lead once again. Wentworth then returned fire, winning the next three points as the teams went back and forth. After the Leopards had gotten within a point, the Engineers won three straight of their own. Wentworth got within two moments later, but MIT closed the set out strong, winning five of the final seven points to take a 25-20 victory and force a decisive fifth set.
• The Engineers started off the fifth taking a 3-1 lead, but a pair of kills by Oshman pulled Wentworth closer. With the Leopards trailing 4-3, the scored one apiece as Jack picked up a kill for the visitors. But two straight points for MIT gave them a 7-4 lead and control of the fifth. After a point for the Leopards, the Engineers picked up two straight, putting the home team ahead 9-5 as Wentworth called timeout. The Leopards won two of three after the timeout, as Oshman and LaBouliere picked up one more kill each. But the Engineers were able to match Wentworth in points the rest of the way, and despite another late kill from Oshman, a pair of kills by Oh helped MIT close out the fifth with a 15-12 victory.

THE SERIES:

• This is the 41^st time the teams have met. MIT now leads the series 36-5.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth returns home Thursday evening, as the Leopards face Nichols College at 7:00 p.m.

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