WESTON, Mass. – Regis College started its day by defeating Lasell University, 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-19), and then took Johnson & Wales University to four sets before the Wildcats prevailed, 3-1 (25-16, 30-28, 18-25, 25-18), Saturday afternoon in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference women's volleyball tri-match at Higgins Court.
In the victory over Lasell, Rita Dow (Nashua, N.H.) led the Pride with 10 kills on 23 attack attempts with just one error for a .391 hitting percentage, plus she earned two service aces and six total blocks. Valerie Whalen (Stoughton, Mass.) contributed nine kills, Emily Fagundo (Dover, N.H.) dished out 29 assists, and Mica van der Meulen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) collected a team-high five service aces. Defensively, Kamdyn Tenorio (Irvine, Calif.) paced Regis with nine digs.
Lasell (13-10, 5-4 GNAC) went on a 6-1 scoring run to open an 8-5 lead in the opening set, but Regis responded with an 11-3 scoring stretch, led by Dow with three kills, two aces, and a block assist. After a kill by Sabine Milton brought the Lasers within five at 19-14, the Pride scored the final six points of the first set, including a service ace by Alyssa Garcia (Riverside, Calif.).
The Lasers again took the early lead in the second set and then, after consecutive aces by Tyler Wax (San Diego, Calif.) tied the set at 7-7, scored six unanswered points, led by Mckenna McCool with four kills, to open a 14-8 advantage. The Pride struck back with a 9-1 scoring run, and they would eventually clinch the second set on two kills by Dow.
Back-to-back aces from Garcia allowed the Pride to take a 7-4 lead in the third set, but the Lasers fought back as McCool earned consecutive kills and a block assist to pull her team into a 10-10 tie. Down 18-14 after a service ace by Isabelle Babcock, Regis put together an 11-1 scoring run to close out the set and the match, featuring four straight service aces by van der Meulen and capped by consecutive kills from Dow.
McCool led all players in the match with 12 kills, with Tori Scambray notching nine kills and Jess Langan accumulating 23 assists. Regis' service game played a significant role in the victory, as the Pride collected 17 service aces, the second-most in a match this season behind a 19-ace effort against Lesley Sept. 21. It was also the Pride's ninth conference victory of the year, the most in a single season by any Regis women's volleyball team in any league it has competed in.
In the second match of the day for both Regis and Johnson & Wales, the Wildcats ran out to a 9-1 lead in the opening set, but the Pride would eventually close to within two at 14-12. JWU would finish off the first set with a 6-1 scoring run, capped by kills from Sarah Miller and Amanda Koch.
The Wildcats scored the first three points of the second set and held a 9-5 lead before Regis battled back, eventually taking the lead at 12-11. After four straight JWU points, the Pride scored six unanswered points, capped by kills from Ahnasia Mckinney (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Tenorio, to pull ahead, 18-15.
JWU brought about set point at 24-22 on a kill by Masina Tupea, but Regis extended the set in park with a block by Whalen and Dow. The Pride had an opportunity to close out the set at 26-25, but the Wildcats responded with a kill by Tiah Scott and a block from Koch and Kyra Hissner. JWU finally clinched the second set as Peyton Oliver picked up a kill and a service ace.
After JWU took a 5-2 lead in the third set, Regis went on an 8-1 scoring run to open a 10-6 advantage, but two kills by Oliver as well as kills from Tupea and Mia Sadler pulled the Wildcats into a 10-10 tie. A 7-1 scoring run allowed the Pride to race out to a 20-14 lead, and then Regis scored the final four points of the set, including kills by Dow and Samantha Silveira (East Taunton, Mass.) as well as a service ace from Tenorio.
The Wildcats used an 8-1 scoring run in the fourth set to open a 10-5 lead, and they would keep the Pride at arm's length the rest of the set. After a block by Silveira and Kate Montigny (Shrewsbury, Mass.) brought Regis within five at 22-17, JWU scored three of the final four points, punctuated by a kill from Elisabeth Elbrecht.
Whalen and Montigny led the Regis offense with nine kills apiece, with Mckinney contributing seven kills, 18 assists, nine digs, and four total blocks. Wax finished with five service aces and 13 digs, Dow paced the team at the net with eight total blocks, and van der Meulen led the backline with 21 defensive digs.
Tupea led the Wildcats with 11 kills, with Oliver notching a double-double with 10 kills and 15 digs. Hissner also earned a double-double with 33 assists and 19 digs to go along with five kills, and JWU libero Emily Corbett led all players in the match with 24 defensive digs to go along with six assists and three service aces.
Johnson & Wales (16-7, 10-1 GNAC) also defeated Lasell Saturday, 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-15), behind seven kills from Tupea and an overall effort from Oliver that featured six kills, three service aces, and eight digs. Scambray led the Lasers with seven kills, a .300 hitting percentage, and six digs, while McCool also finished with seven kills.
Regis College (18-7, 9-3 GNAC) heads west to face Worcester State Tuesday, Oct. 26, beginning at 7 p.m. before hosting Maine-Fort Kent in a Senior Day match Thursday, Oct. 28, starting at 4 p.m. Lasell starts a busy stretch of five matches in five days by hosting Simmons Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m., while Johnson & Wales hosts Emerson Thursday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m.