WESTON, Mass. - Focusing on basics and fundamentals, the Regis (Mass.) men's volleyball team conducted its first practice of the 2017 season. Nikki Naccarato, serving as the program's interim head coach, worked with a small group of both returnees and newcomers in the two-hour training session.
"The (players) are a little rusty so we had to get the rust off," said Coach Naccarato, whose Pride team is just two weeks away from its season opener against MIT. "I wanted to focus on fundamentals and working from the bottom up."
The Pride, who fell to Daniel Webster in last season's New England Collegiate Conference semifinal, enter its final season in the NECC before heading to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. The team returns eight players from its 2016 roster, including defending NECC Player of the Year Brett Krahl (Santa Clarita, Calif.) and NECC Defensive Player of the Year Sean Bisnett (Oxnard, Calif.).
"We have a really small group," said Bisnett who serves at tri-captain with Krahl and Chris Fitta (Warwick, R.I.). "We mesh together and I'm sure the others can attest to that too." "It's just knocking the rust off," added Pitta. "We have two weeks to do it so i'm excited to get back."
The Pride will also welcome three newcomers to the team, including junior transfer Wade Robidoux (Agawam, Mass.). Last season as a sophomore playing for Newbury College, Robidoux joined now-teammates Krahl and Bisnett on the NECC First Team All-Conference.
Regis hosts to MIT on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at Higgins Court. First serve of the 2017 season is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. between the Pride and Engineers.
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