BRISTOL, R.I. - Regis College battled back from a sluggish first set to tie its match with Clark University at one set apiece, but the Cougars pulled away in both the third and fourth set to defeat the Pride, 3-1 (25-10, 16-25, 25-17, 25-18), Friday evening in the first match of the RWU Invitational hosted by Roger Williams University.
Kamdyn Tenorio (Irvine, Calif.) led the Pride with nine kills to go along with 14 defensive digs, while Rita Dow (Nashua, N.H.) earned eight kills and three block assists. Ahnasia Mckinney (Chelmsford, Mass.) collected 24 assists and three block assists, and Avery Mola (Cheshire, Conn.) finished with seven kills and a team-high 15 digs. At the net, Grace Fabiano (Greenland, N.H.) and Lauren Tuttle (Stratham, N.H.) each earned four block assists.
Clark (1-0) scored three straight points early in the opening set to pull ahead, 5-2, and then the Cougars put together a 9-2 scoring run, led by four kills from Victoria Pastor. After two kills from Dow brought the Pride within seven points at 17-10, Clark rattled off eight unanswered points to close out the first set, including consecutive blocks by the tandem of Pastor and Sheyenne Williams.
The Pride scored five of the first six points of the second set, and then another 5-1 scoring run later in the set extended the Regis advantage to 16-8. Clark closed to within seven points at 22-15 on a service ace by Sofia Scherrer del Llano, but consecutive Regis blocks brought about set point, and Tuttle would clinch the set with a kill to tie the match at 1-1.
In the third set, Regis took an early 5-2 lead on a block by Mckinney and Tuttle, but Clark put together a 9-1 scoring run, led by Pastor with two kills and a block assist. The Pride closed to within two points at 12-10 on a block by Dow and Fabiano, but the Cougars would eventually score the final six points of the set, capped by a kill from Camille Flurry.
After Regis pulled ahead in the fourth set, 5-4, Clark scored six unanswered points, including two kills by Camille Sterling. The Cougars later scored four straight points before Regis went on a 6-2 scoring run to pull to within three points at 17-14. Flurry earned Clark's final two points of the set with kills to clinch the match for the Cougars.
Pastor notched a double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs, while Flurry finished with eight kills. Yvanna Torres dished out 24 assists to go along with eight digs, and Yumeng Liu paced Clark with three service aces and 17 defensive digs.
Regis College (0-1) continues play in the RWU Invitational Saturday, Sept. 2, with matches against Wellesley at 10 a.m. and the host Hawks at 12 p.m.