BROOKLINE, Mass. – The Newbury College men's volleyball team split the season series with a 3-1 victory over Regis College, in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action, Wednesday evening. First year middle hitter Wade Robidoux (Agawam, Mass.) led the way to victory, posting a .321 attack percentage, notching a match-high 17 kills on 31 attempts with just five errors.

Newbury jumped out to the quick 1-0 match lead, taking the first set, 25-21. It was a grueling game with Regis dominating the net, tallying eight total blocks defensively. However it was the Nighthawk seniors that pulled it out. Outside hitters Danny Tiner (Salem, N.H.) and Chi Yin Li (Hong Kong, China) combined to hit .350 with 10 kills on 20 attempts and just three miscues.

Trailing for the majority of the second set, the Pride sophomore middle blocker Brandon Tordoff (Coventry, R.I.) ignited a 5-0 run with back-to-back blocks to give Regis the 21-19 lead and they never looked back. First year outside hitter Josiah Roque (Oxnard, Calif.) registered four kills on 10 attempts en route the 25-20 victory to knot up the match at 1-1.

It appeared as if momentum swung over to the Regis bench at the start of the third set. The Pride looked to be in full control of the game, leading 12-5 early on before taking a 19-16 lead late in the set. But the Nighthawks had a bit of their own comeback magic in them as well. Sophomore middle hitter Nile Fox (Hampton, Va.) and first year outside hitter Xavier Brown-Rose (Wilbraham, Mass.) capped off a 4-0 which swung momentum back to Newbury as they took the set, 25-20 to take the 2-1 match advantage.

Their momentum continued to roll into the fourth set. With the score tied at 4-4 following a Tiner kill, the Nighthawks went on a 4-0 run – which included two aces by Robidoux. The Western Massachusetts native closed out the match with back-to-back kills from fellow first year, setter Michael Holihan (Northampton, Mass.) to take the game, 25-21.

Tiner followed up Robidoux with 15 kills on 44 attempts on the night while Li was right behind him rounding out the Nighthawks in double digits with 12 kills. Fox was a force at the net leading Newbury with four total blocks – one solo and three assisted.

Regis sophomore outside hitter Sean Bisnett (Oxnard, Calif.) tied Robidoux for the match-high in kills, notching 17 on the night while Roque followed up with 12 kills on 28 attempts and three errors for a .321 attack percentage. First year middle blocker Brett Krahl (Santa Clarita, Calif.) was an unstoppable force at the net leading the Pride with eight total blocks – five assisted and three solo.

Newbury improves to 9-13 and 6-5 in the conference while Regis closes out the regular season at 11-15 and 7-5 in the NECC. The Nighthawks will be back in action next Tuesday, April 7th when they host Southern Vermont College on Senior Night at 7:00 p.m.

Match Notes:

As a team, Regis recorded 28 total blocks – 23 assisted and five solo...Brett Krahl came one block shy of tying his career single-match high, tallying eight total blocks in the match...Newbury first year middle hitter Wade Robidoux (Agawam, Mass.) was nearly perfect from the field in the second set for the Nighthawks, recording five kills on six attempts for a staggering .833 attack percentage...

Release Courtesy of Newbury College Sports Information