On Wednesday night, the men's volleyball team got back in the win column with a much-needed 3-0 sweep over the MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] Engineers at the Athletic Center. It was the first time since 2019 that the two teams matched up, with MIT coming out on top.
The beginning of the first set featured both teams exchanging leads multiple times until a kill from graduate outside hitter Brenden Joyce put the Lasers up 11-8, leaving MIT to call a timeout. The two teams traded service errors coming out of the timeout, followed by the Lasers going on a set-defining 5-1 run that would help grow the lead to 17-11, putting it just out of reach for any impending Engineers run. Joyce would deliver the final blow of the first set, earning a kill to win and take a 1-0 set win by a score of 20-25.
The second set was completely different than the one prior, as it was clear that MIT had made some adjustments. The Engineers went on an 8-3 run to start the set, with the score sitting at 13-7 in favor of the visitors. The Lasers had to make adjustments to keep the pivotal second set in reach. A timely 10-1 Lasers run did just that, as they had gotten right back into the set with a sudden 17-14 lead, setting up a potential 2-0 set lead. After some back and forth in the final moments of the set, the Lasers needed just one more kill to get out of the set with a win. Junior outside hitter Theo Zaharewicz answered the bell, recording his eighth kill, giving the Lasers the narrow 25-22 set win.
The third set was all Lasers, as they scored the first five points of the set, which led to a quick MIT timeout. The high-powered Laser offense continued dominating the Engineers, as well as their stifling defense, which totaled ten blocks throughout the game. After an Engineers' timeout, the Lasers maintained no less than a seven-point lead for the remainder of the set, as they would complete the sweep with a 25-16 third-set win.
The Lasers will look to make it two in a row on Friday at 8 p.m. when they travel to Springfield for the first round of the Springfield Classic against Endicott.
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