WESTON, Mass. - The Regis (Mass.) men's volleyball team suffered a three-set loss to Wells College on Friday evening in the first match of the season at Higgins Court. The match's set scores were 25-16, 25-18, and 25-22.
With the loss, the Pride continues to seek win number one on the season, falling to 0-4. The Express improves to 7-3 with the win.
The Wells offense was on fire all night long, starting from the very first set. Ahead 7-6 in the early stages on the opening set, the Express went on an 8-1 run behind a pair of kills each from freshman Robert Patzer (Syracuse, N.Y.) and sophomore Caden O'Loughlin (Louisville, Ky.) to take a commanding 15-7 lead. The Pride could do little to stop the Express attack in the waning moments of the set, and Wells took the set by a score of 25-16. The Express finished the set with 15 kills and just two attack errors for a hitting percentage of .520.
The second set was not much different than the first, as the Wells attack stayed hot. The Pride jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead with a Jeff Ramos (Pawtucket, R.I.) kill and a pair of Wells attack errors, but the Express would settle back in and regain control of the set. Two kills each from Patzer and Jonathan Haines (Wellington, Fla.) led the Express on a 7-2 run to go ahead by a score of 8-5. The Pride closed the gap to 10-9 with another kill from Ramos, but Wells would again pull away, responding with an 8-1 run to put the set out of reach. Wells finished the set once again with impressive numbers, making just three attack errors while putting down 17 kills.
Regis made a strong comeback bid in a much closer third set, but ultimately it was the Express that would put the match away. Wells jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the set, but couldn't pull away as it had in the two sets prior, never leading by more than four the entire set. The Pride was able to close the gap as close as 19-18 and 22-21, but the Express stood tall, clinching the match on a Pride service error.
Wells senior Brannon Perdicho (Victor, N.Y.) was the offensive leader on the evening, putting down 14 kills in the win. Patzer put down 11 kills of his own for the Express, while sophomore Josh Undari (Manor Park, N.Y.) dished out 25 assists.
For the Pride, junior Drew Beimel (Redondo Beach, Calif.) finished just behind Perdicho with 13 kills, with sophomore Jayson Vega (Ponce, Puerto Rico) recording 29 assists.
The Pride will return to action on Valentine's Day, hosting Dean for a 6:00 p.m. start from Higgins Court. Wells has a quick turn-around, travelling to Nashua, N.H. for a tri-match with Rivier and Pine Manor on Saturday.
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