Worcester, Mass. – Visiting MIT used a powerful offensive attack and an excellent passing game from Nicole Gagnier (Atlanta, Ga.) to take a closer-than-you-think 3-0 win over Clark University in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women's volleyball action on Tuesday evening.

Game scores were 30-28, 25-19 and 25-19 in favor of the Engineers, who improved to 13-5 overall and 4-1 in league play with their fourth straight victory.

The Cougars, meanwhile, sees its record slip to 7-9 overall and 1-4 in conference action and have now alternated wins and losses for the last five games.

The first game saw Clark lead for a majority of the frame and the Cougars were even serving for the set at 24-23 when MIT got back-to-back kills from Kristine Bunker (Falmouth, Mass.) and Jenny Astrachan (Austin, Texas) to take only their second lead of the set.

Things stayed close until the Engineers ran off three straight points to erase a one-point deficit and take a 30-28 decision as Emma Gargus (Columbus, Ohio) served an ace and then got a kill to end the set.

The second set was all even at 7-7 when MIT scored 15 of the next 17 points to take a commanding 22-9 edge. Clark scored the next nine of the next 12 points to close the gap but another kill from Astrachan closed out the set.

MIT raced out to a 7-0 lead in the third and never trailed en route to the 25-19 win.

Reigning NEWMAC Player of the Week Tatiana Berger (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) totaled a match-high 16 kills to go along with 11 digs, while Astrachan added 12 kills and Rachel Hunt (Arlington Heights, Ill.) chipped in with ten kills of her own on .625 hitting.

Gagnier was extremely impressive, handing out 41 assists for the Engineers.

For Clark, meanwhile, Shannon Glass-Smythe (Albuquerque, N.M.) and Savonnah Rowe (New York, N.Y.) combined for nine kills. Glass-Smythe added a team best 12 digs, while Savannah Sanford (San Anselmo, Calif.).

The Cougars have little time to lick their wounds as they travel to Connecticut College tomorrow for a meeting with the Camels, while MIT is off until their tri-match with Bowdoin and Simmons on Saturday.