NASHUA, N.H. – Regis College lost to Rivier University, 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-13), Wednesday night in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference men's volleyball match at Muldoon Gymnasium.
Joseph Perez (Miami, Fla.) led the Pride with six kills, while Matt Ferrara (Sandown, N.H.) finished with five kills, two service aces, and three digs. Defensively, Kostea Andreenko (Marstons Mills, Mass.) paced the team at the net with two blocks, and Malakai DeHuelbes (Tucson, Ariz.) collected a team-high six digs.
Regis took an early 6-3 lead in the opening set on kills by Andreenko and Ferrara, but Rivier responded with a 6-1 scoring run to pull ahead, 9-7. After the Pride closed to within one at 12-11, the Raiders put together a 9-2 scoring run, led by Chris Lezon with two kills and a block assist, to extend their lead to eight, and then they would clinch the first set on a kill by Jack Normandin.
Consecutive kills by Normandin capped a 6-1 Raider scoring run to open the second set, and the home team maintained that advantage until a kill by Ferrara and a service ace from Perez brought the Pride within three at 20-17. Rivier would close out the set by scoring five of the final seven points, capped with a block by Lezon and Pedro Campos.
In the third set, the Pride took a 4-2 lead on kills by Josh Nolen (Falls Church, Va.) and Andreenko as well as a service ace from Ferrara. The Raiders scored the next four points, led by two kills and a block assist from Normandin, and then they took the lead for good at 10-8 on a kill by David Smith and a service ace from Campos. Rivier outscored Regis 12-3 to finish the set and the match, punctuated by a service ace from Peter White.
Rivier (1-1, 1-0 GNAC) was led by Normandin with 12 kills, while Smith finished with eight kills and six digs and Lezon added seven kills on a .636 hitting percentage and four total blocks. Campos dished out 28 assists for the Raiders, and Jack Hromada led the home team defensively with 11 digs.
Regis (1-3, 0-2 GNAC) hosts a tri-match Saturday, Feb. 5, facing Dean College in a non-conference contest at 11 a.m. and Northern Vermont-Johnson at 3 p.m.