Women’s Volleyball Battles to Distance Twice Saturday

WALTHAM, Mass. – Both Regis College matches Saturday followed the same pattern, as the Pride won the first set, lost the next two sets, and prevailed in the fourth set to force a deciding fifth set, but they could not pull out either contest, losing to Endicott College and host Brandeis University at the Brandeis Invitational #1 at Red Auerbach Arena.

ENDICOTT 3, REGIS 2 (14-25, 25-17, 25-20, 20-25, 15-7)

Avery Mola (Cheshire, Conn.) led the Pride with 13 kills, three service aces, and three total blocks, while Ahnasia Mckinney (Chelmsford, Mass.) finished with 12 kills and 19 assists. Kamdyn Tenorio (Irvine, Calif.) also notched a double-double with 11 kills and a team-high 15 digs along with three service aces of her own, and Alexandra Rivera (Bristol, Conn.) finished with 19 assists, three service aces, and eight digs.

After the teams split the first six points to open the match, Regis scored eight unanswered points. Endicott responded with a 9-3 scoring run to pull within two points at 14-12, but the Pride struck back with an 11-2 scoring run to close out the opening set, led in part by Grace Fabiano (Greenland, N.H.) with two kills and a block assist.

The Gulls won the first six points of the second set and the last six points of the third set to take a 2-1 match lead, and then they took a 15-13 advantage midway through the fourth set. Regis battled back with a 12-5 scoring run to close out the fourth set, capped by a kill from Mola and a block by Mola and Kate Montigny (Shrewsbury, Mass.).

The Pride pulled ahead in the fifth set, 5-4, after a kill by Tenorio, but Endicott took control with five straight points. The Gulls would maintain their advantage the rest of the way to earn the match victory.

BRANDEIS 3, REGIS 2 (23-25, 26-24, 25-20, 17-25, 15-12)

Mola again led the Pride offensively with 15 kills, with Mckinney collecting nine kills, 24 assists, and eight digs. Rivera dished out 23 assists to go along with four service aces, Tenorio notched five service aces to go with eight kills and 13 digs, and Princesa Gonzalez (Lares, Puerto Rico) paced the Regis backline with 16 digs.

Down 10-5 in the first set, Regis put together a 12-4 scoring stretch, led by Mckinney with three kills and two assists. Later in the set, the Judges closed to within one point at 23-22 but kills by Mckinney and Tenorio allowed the Pride to close out the opening set.

Regis was ahead in the second set, 24-21, but three straight Brandeis service aces allowed the home team to win the set and tie the match. After Brandeis took a 2-1 match lead, Regis rattled off a 9-1 scoring run midway through the fourth set and eventually sent the contest to a deciding fifth set thanks in part to consecutive kills by Montigny.

Three straight kills allowed the Judges to open an 11-7 lead in the fifth set, and Brandeis was able to hold off the Pride the rest of the way.

Regis College (2-2) hosts Worcester State Tuesday, Sept. 3, starting at 7 p.m. at Higgins Court.