CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—The 14th-ranked Hobart volleyball team fell in four sets to No. 20 MIT this evening in a conference matchup on the road. The Statesmen fall to 15-10 on the season with a 2-4 mark in conference play while the Engineers move to 14-6 overall and 3-2 in the UVC.

The crucial conference matchup was evenly split between the two sides. Hobart combined for 50 kills (.254) as a team compared to MIT's 58 (.292). The Statesmen tallied 47 digs to the Engineer's 45 and led the match with nine blocks compared to MIT's eight. The Engineers edged the Statesmen from the service line, tallying four aces to Hobart's two.

Two Statesmen recorded double-doubles in the loss. Graduate student Andrew Kim led Hobart with a match-high 28 kills (.480) and 12 digs for his fourth double-double of the season, while first-year Daniel Sappia earned his third with 10 kills and 10 digs. First-year Anthony Zontini chipped in eight kills (.444), five digs and one block for the Statesmen.

Nicholas Gustafson led the Engineers with 19 kills (.170), nine digs and two blocks. Riley Oh recorded a match-high 44 assists, 11 digs and five blocks in the win.

MATCH MOMENTS:

• The opening set saw Sappia (.067), and Kim (.333) combine for 11 kills for Hobart but was matched by an efficient Engineer offense that found six different players record at least one kill. MIT used six big blocks to steal the momentum of the opening set and earn a 25-16 win over Hobart.
• The second set was a back-and-forth battle between the two sides that saw 17 tie scores and seven lead changes. Despite Kim's 11 kills (.526), MIT delivered a match-high 21 kills (.250) as a team to extend the set to extra points. The Engineers extended their lead with a thrilling 36-34 win in set two.
• In a must-win set for the Statesmen, Hobart responded well with 13 kills (.571) as a team compared to MIT's 11 (.091). Zontini added a spark for the Statesmen, recording three kills (.500) off the bench. He combined with Kim's six kills (.667) to lead Hobart to a 25-19 win to force a fourth set.
• The Statesmen continued to fight back in the fourth, putting down 13 kills (.312) compared to the Engineer's 11 (.371). The final set saw seven tie scores and one lead change late in the set that resulted in MIT grabbing the late momentum and closing the match out on top with a 25-21 win in the fourth.

MATCH STATS:

• Kim led Hobart with a match-high 28 kills (.480), while Sappia added 10 (-.100). Zontini chipped in eight (.444), while first-year Grayson Getz added three (.375) out of the middle.
• First-year setter Zack Farren recorded 46 assists and seven digs in the loss.
• The Statesmen combined for 47 digs as a team and were led by Kim with 12. Sappia chipped in 10, while first-year Gavin Meador added eight.
• Sappia made his presence known at the net, recording a season-high seven blocks. Getz followed closely behind with six, while first-year Nate Magni chipped in two.

UP NEXT:
 
Hobart will be back in action Saturday, March 23, when it heads to Purchase, New York, to take on Manhattanville College. First serve in the nonconference matchup between the Statesmen and the Valiants is set for noon in Kennedy Gymnasium.