09/16/2008
Volleyball Drops NEWMAC Opener to MIT, 3-1

WORCESTER, MASS. 9/16/08 - The Clark University women's volleyball team dropped its New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) opener to MIT, 3-1, at the Kneller Athletic Center on Tuesday night. Clark falls to 3-5 and 0-1 in league play, while MIT moves to 6-5 (1-0 NEWMAC).

After dropping the first two sets, 19-25 and 17-25, Clark rallied to take game three, 25-22. In a back-and-forth battle, the Cougars lost the deciding fourth game, 23-25.

In the opener, Clark took its first lead of the day on Nichole Lopez's (Alameda, Cali.) service point for a 14-13 advantage. The two teams went on to tie the game three times with the last at 17-all, before the Engineers scored six unanswered points and pulled away for a 25-19 win.

With the score knotted at 13-all, MIT went on a 6-1 run capped by junior Barden Cleeland's (Irvine, Cali.) kill down the middle for a 19-14 lead in game two. However, Clark took advantage of three straight Engineer errors to trail by three (17-19). The visitors regrouped to regain the lead and take the game, 25-17.

In game three, first-year Parker Edmonds' (Fort Worth, Tex.) opposite corner kill gave the Cougars a 4-1 edge and they never looked back. The host team took their largest lead of the night when Edmonds floated the ball over the net to make it 16-11. Junior Alex May (Des Moines, Iowa) tied it up (21-21) late in the game with a kill of her own, but three straight points from junior Maritza Fair (Bronx, N.Y.), a Clark error and Liz Magier's (Newburgh, N.Y.) spike accounted for the final score, 25-22.

Trailing by one (21-22) in the fourth game, a series of hitting miscues by both teams gave MIT a 24-22 edge. A big point by Fair brought the game within one (23-24), but MIT would take the set off of a back row kill from Cleeland.

Clark was led by Fair with 20 kills, 10 digs and three service aces. Edmonds chipped in with six kills, while first-year Amira Tranchell (Falmouth, Mass.) finished with five. Junior Emily Visone (West Hempstead, N.Y.) recorded 13 digs for the Cougars.

May paced the Engineers with 15 kills, 18 digs and four aces, while Cleeland contributed with 13 kills and two blocks. Senior Lindsay Hunting (West Chester, Pa.) had 16 digs and three aces. Junior Cathy Melnikow (Yorkville, Me.) dished out 46 assists in the win.

Clark will host Mount Ida College on Thursday (7 p.m.). MIT will entertain Smith College and UMass-Boston in a tri-match on Saturday (11 a.m.).