PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Regis College lost to Johnson & Wales University, 3-0 (25-13, 25-12, 25-16), Wednesday night in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference opening match of the season for both men's volleyball teams at the Wildcat Center.

Drew Beimel (Redondo Beach, Calif.) led the Pride offensively with seven kills and a .333 hitting percentage, while Sebastian Valdes (Diamond Bar, Calif.) collected 15 assists and Regis's only service ace of the match. Jack Wizboski (Townsend, Mass.) earned three kills, plus he was part of both blocks by the Pride, and Zabdiel Frias (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico) contributed four defensive digs.

Johnson & Wales (6-1, 1-0 GNAC) scored the first four points of the match, half of them on service aces by Donovan Kelley, and then the Wildcats extended their lead to 16-6 later in the first set with six straight points, featuring three consecutive blocks that all involved Josh Pitzer. Johnson & Wales put together a 6-1 scoring run towards the end of the set and then closed it out on a kill by Nick Bitetto.

The Wildcats pulled away in the second set thanks to a 12-3 scoring run, and then they finished off the set with a 6-2 scoring run, including a kill and a block assist by Kelley. Regis took a 7-5 lead early in the third set on a block by Wizboski and Inelson Alves (Brockton, Mass.), but Johnson & Wales bounced back with a 15-4 scoring run. The Wildcats clinched the set and the match with a kill by Kelley.

Pitzer led the Wildcats with nine kills and six total blocks, plus he hit .692 in the match. Sanjae Holloway earned eight kills on nine attack attempts without an error for an .889 hitting percentage, setter Ben Sandt finished with 31 assists, and Alex Seda led his team with seven defensive digs.

Regis (1-4, 0-1 GNAC) heads to Franklin, Mass., for a tri-match Saturday, Feb. 9, first taking on Colby-Sawyer in a non-conference contest at 1 p.m. The Pride will then face the host Dean Bulldogs at 3 p.m.