WESTON, Mass. – The Regis College women's volleyball team showed its character right away in 2018, falling behind Eastern Connecticut State 2-0 in the season opener before rallying back to tie the match at two sets apiece, thanks to just one attack error in the third set and 16 kills in the fourth set.
Although the Pride would eventually lose that match, the fight shown by the Regis players would appear again throughout the season. In mid-September, Regis won seven of eight matches, including 3-2 victories at New England College and at Saint Joseph's College.
Despite the continued effort of the team, the Pride lost eight straight matches, including tough 3-2 conference losses to Lasell and Colby-Sawyer. Regis did not give up on the season, winning three straight GNAC matches in October to stay in contention for a spot in the conference tournament.
A tough five-set loss at St. Joseph on the final day of the regular season sealed Regis's fate, as the Pride finished ninth in the GNAC standings with a 4-8 league record, missing the league tournament. Overall, Regis posted a 12-16 record, its seventh straight season with at least 12 victories.
Junior Katryna Veasey (Quincy, Mass.) earned Second Team All-GNAC honors from the conference coaches. She led the Pride and the GNAC with 346 kills and 3.36 kills per set, setting Regis single-season records in both categories. In addition, she became the Pride's all-time leader in kills, finishing the year with 859 career kills, already 185 kills more than the previous record of 674 career kills.
Fellow junior Lauren Butt (Topsfield, Mass.) led the GNAC with 0.99 blocks per set, plus she was eighth in the conference with a .270 hitting percentage as she collected 143 kills and 101 total blocks, the only player in the league with at least 100 blocks. Rachel Bartels (Edinburg, Texas) capped her collegiate career with 155 kills and 45 blocks to end up fourth on the all-time kills list with 598 career kills and sixth on the school's career blocks list with 210 total blocks.
Veasey also led the team with 46 service aces and 325 digs, while Caroline Fuentes (Downey, Calif.) finished with 43 service aces and 307 digs. Fuentes finished her four-year career with the Pride eighth in career digs with 720 and tied for 10th in career service aces with 141.
Sophomore Tori Ondris (Mineola, N.Y.) was one of the team's primary setters throughout the year, finishing the season with a team-high 372 assists. Freshman Mica van der Meulen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) split time between setter and libero, collecting 324 assists and 214 defensive digs during her initial collegiate campaign.
Although six players will be lost to graduation, 13 student-athletes who saw time on the floor during the 2018 season are eligible to return next year, giving Regis an experienced squad as it attempts to return to the top portion of the GNAC standings in 2019.