Regis Men’s Volleyball Battles Top-Ranked Springfield to Finish

Regis Men’s Volleyball Battles Top-Ranked Springfield to Finish

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Regis College stuck around for a while, especially in the third set, but Springfield College, the defending national champion and current top-ranked team in the country, earned a 3-0 victory (25-14, 25-9, 25-21) Tuesday night in a non-conference men's collegiate volleyball match at Blake Arena.

Kostea Andreenko (Marstons Mills, Mass.) led the Pride with five kills on seven attempts for a .714 hitting percentage, while Matt Ferrara (Haverhill, Mass.) finished with four kills, three digs, and two total blocks. As a team, Regis posted a .227 hitting percentage in the third set, but it could not stop the Springfield offense from finishing with a .590 hitting percentage for the match.

Springfield (5-1) jumped out to an 11-3 lead in the first set, led by Eli Irizarry Pares with four kills during that stretch. The home team extended its advantage to 18-5 with six unanswered points, and then the two squads exchanged points the rest of the set, with Springfield clinching the opening set on a kill by Thomas Wollweber.

Springfield scored six of the first seven points of the second set, but Regis responded with five of the next six points, including a block by Drew Beimel (Redondo Beach, Calif.) and Inelson Alves (Brockton, Mass.), to close to within one at 7-6. The home team broke away, finishing the set by outscoring Regis 18-3, capped by a kill from Chris Parker.

Parker continued to pace the Springfield offense, earning consecutive kills early in the third set to help his team open a 10-3 advantage. Regis slowly chipped away at its deficit, eventually pulling within two at 21-19 on a solo block by Ferrara, but Springfield finally closed out the set and the match on a kill by Jason Koehler.

Parker finished with seven kills on eight attempts to hit .875, while Mike Neary hit .857 with six kills on seven attempts. Setter E.G. Irizarry Pares was perfect on all five of his attack attempts to go along with 18 assists, two service aces, five digs, and two total blocks.

Regis (1-2) hosts Nichols College Friday, Feb. 1, at Higgins Court starting at 4 p.m. The Bison, in their first season of men's volleyball varsity competition, will enter the match with an 0-3 record after losing at Emmanuel Tuesday.