Box | Updated stats
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Visiting Nazareth used a balanced offensive attack Saturday to defeat 15th-ranked MIT in four close sets in men's volleyball action. Nazareth won by scores of 25-23, 18-25, 25-23, 25-23 to take its United Volleyball Conference opener. The Golden Flyers play gain Sunday against Vassar at 11 a.m. also at MIT.

Four players posted double digit kill totals for the Golden Flyers, who improved to 7-4 overall. MIT lost for the first time this season, dropping to 7-1 overall. Freshman Antonio Sargent had 14 kills and senior Sam Bittker added 13. Junior Zachary Gillard and senior Kane Wittorff had 10 kills each. Senior setter Jake Kemp amassed 51 assists to go with 12 digs. Sophomore Luis Vazquez contributed 10 digs.

The Golden Flyers trailed 23-22 in the fourth set, but rallied to take the set and the match on kills by Gillard and Joe Crosby and an MIT attack error. Sargent and Gillard each had four of their kills in the decisive set and Kemp had six of his digs.

Nazareth took the first set in similar fashion. The Golden Flyers were behind 21-19, but rallied to take a 24-22 lead thanks to four straight MIT attacking errors. After MIT scored to close within 24-23, Sargent deliver the set-clinching kill.

MIT dominated the second set by posting a .360 hitting percentage (13-4-25), but Nazareth proved resilient again by taking the third set by rallying from early deficits of 6-2 and 7-3. The Golden Flyers still trailed 20-19 late in the set before scoring four straight points to take control. Kills by Bittker and Wittorff got Nazareth to 23, then Sargent had a kill to make the score 24-21. MIT got two poinits back to draw within 24-23, but a kill by Wittorff finished off the set.