QUINCY, Mass. – The Regis College women's volleyball team lost to Framingham State, 3-0 (25-23, 25-16, 25-19), in the first match of the Eastern Nazarene College Invitational Friday evening at the Lahue PE Center.
Katryna Veasey (Quincy, Mass.) once again led the Pride with 10 kills and a .296 hitting percentage, plus she collected nine digs. Mica van der Meulen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) finished with 11 assists, two service aces, and seven digs, and Caroline Fuentes (Downey, Calif.) led the Regis defense with 13 digs.
Framingham State (2-2) took the early lead in the first set, 8-5, before Regis scored six straight points, capped with a block by Lauren Butt (Topsfield, Mass.) and Rachel Bartels (Edinburg, Texas). After an ace by van der Meulen gave the Pride a 20-15 lead, the Rams scored seven unanswered points, including two aces by Deirdre Fay, and eventually won the first set on a Regis attack error.
The Pride opened an 8-5 advantage early in the second set, but Framingham Stater responded with a 17-5 scoring run, led by Grace Caughey with three kills. A kill by Bartels and a service ace from Fuentes closed the Regis deficit to 22-16, but a block by Brandee Thomas and Ella Vercellone followed by consecutive kills from Thomas gave the Rams the second set and a 2-0 match lead.
Framingham State won three of the first four points of the third set and eventually extended its lead to five later in the set. After a block by Bartels and Butt brought the Pride to within three at 19-16, the Rams won the next five points, led by Thomas with two kills and Caughey with two service aces, to bring about match point. Regis held off the Rams thanks to two kills by Veasey, but Framingham State finally clinched the set and the match on a kill by Brandey Rodriguez.
Rodriguez led the Rams with 10 kills, with Thomas and Caughey earning nine kills apiece. Mackenzie Whalen finished with 31 assists and seven digs, Fay ended up with four service aces and eight digs, and Alyssa Cafarelli led all players with 19 defensive digs.
Regis (1-2) continues play at the ENC Invitational Saturday, Sept. 8, facing the host Lions at 10 a.m. and Nichols at 2 p.m.