It was a back and forth match all night. In the first set, Emerson jumped out to a 7-1 lead through the strong play of Jackson Wiley, scoring with back to back kills. However, after that burst they began to fade, and MIT came back to tie the game up 8-8. A timeout by Emerson did not allow them to take back the lead, but the Lions stayed close with MIT as the set ended 25-21.

The second set was another tight battle, with Connor Burton making a few huge blocks to keep the Lions in it. MIT could not be contained though, thanks in large part to Jack Serrino who was able to tie it up. Emerson led for most of the set, but ended up losing 25-22.

The final two sets were not quite as close, with Emerson taking the third and MIT taking the fourth, both by a score of 25-18. This is the first set Emerson has won against a nationally ranked team.

That third set saw Emerson's highest percentage of the night, and opened the possibility of a comeback, but MIT responded in the fourth to close it out. Both Nick Rusk and Wiley were the offensive powers for the team with 16 points apiece. Emerson falls to 0-1 for the season but with multiple close sets the Lions showed that they have the potential to improve on this game.

The Lions play next at Springfield in a tri-match including Newbury. Game set for Jan 24, 4:00pm and 6:00pm.