Regis Men’s Volleyball Loses at Elms

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Regis College played with Elms College throughout the night, but the Blazers prevailed over the Pride, 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-20), Tuesday night in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference men's volleyball match at Picknelly Arena.

Matt Ferrara (Sandown, N.H.) led the Pride with eight kills and three block assists, while Josh Nolen (Falls Church, Va.) finished with seven kills, a .545 hitting percentage, one service ace, and three total blocks. Joseph Perez (Miami, Fla.) also collected seven kills along with five digs, Tyrell Bucasas (Waialua, Hawaii) dished out 18 assists, and Marcello Cappuccio (Scotch Plains, N.J.) led the team defensively with nine digs.

Elms took an early four-point lead at 10-6 in the opening set before the Pride put together a 6-2 scoring run to tie the set at 12-12. After a Blazer attack error gave the Pride a 15-14 advantage, the home team put together a 7-2 scoring run, capped by a kill from Carlos Mercado. A kill by Perez and a service ace from Nolen brought the Pride within two, but the Blazers closed out the first set with four straight points, capped by kills from Antonio Delgado and Pedro Dejesus.

The second set featured 14 ties and five lead changes, with Regis taking a 16-15 lead on a block by Nolen and Ferrara. Elms scored the next four points, featuring consecutive service aces from Moose Perry, and would eventually clinch the set with a 5-1 scoring run, including two kills from Mercado.

The Blazers put together a 7-2 scoring run early in the third set to open a 10-6 advantage, but the Pride would stay close, coming within two points on several occasions. Elms scored five straight points, led by Perry with two solo blocks and a kill, and then another kill by Perry brought about match point at 24-17. Regis extended the match thanks to a kill by Nolen, an Elms attack error, and a block by Nolen and Ferrara, but the Blazers finally closed out the set and the match on a kill by Mercado.

Elms (4-2, 2-0 GNAC) was led by Mercado with 14 kills and 10 digs, while Delgado earned nine kills and seven digs. Luis Martinez accumulated 30 assists, two service aces, and five digs, and Perry contributed eight kills, a team-high .333 hitting percentage, two service aces, and four total blocks, including three solo blocks. 

Regis College (3-4, 0-3 GNAC) continues its stretch of four straight road matches at Eastern Nazarene Thursday, Feb. 10, starting at 7:30 p.m.