Bucasas Eclipses 2,000 Assists in Tri-Match Split

WESTON, MASS. – The Regis College Men's Volleyball team hosted a GNAC tri-match at Higgins Court, welcoming Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT) and Rivier University. The Pride fell to WIT in straight sets, 3-0, but rebounded with a 3-1 victory over Rivier, improving their record to 17-11 overall and 5-7 in GNAC play.

Adam Bonica (Quincy, Mass.) led the Pride with eight kills and five digs in the opening game, while Brandon Valdes (Miami, Fla.) contributed seven kills, eight digs, and two aces. Tyrell Bucasas (Waialua, Hawaii) facilitated the offense with 21 assists, and defensively, Jay Bodhidatta (Bangkok, Thailand) anchored the back row with 12 digs.

Valdes and Bonica carried their momentum into game two, recording 14 and 10 kills, respectively, with Bonica also adding nine digs. Jalen Watt (South Hadley, Mass.) rounded out the offense with 12 kills, while Tyrell Bucasas orchestrated the attack with 41 assists. John Nangle (Lowell, Mass.) delivered a well-rounded performance, contributing seven kills, five blocks, three digs, and three service aces. Jay Bodhidatta continued to anchor the defense with 14 digs in the Pride's win over Rivier.

Regis vs. Wentworth

• Three early kills from Bonica gave the Pride a 5-2 advantage, but a 6-1 Leopard run quickly turned the tide, putting them ahead 8-6. Both teams then traded 5-0 runs, with the Pride emerging on top, 16-15. However, the Leopards responded with four unanswered points to regain the lead at 20-17 and carried that momentum to a 25-22 first-set victory.
• The Leopards stormed out to a 5-0 lead in set two, fueled by a pair of aces and three kills from Sam Etter. The Pride battled back, cutting the deficit to three at 15-12 after a 4-0 run. Bucasas then assisted on back-to-back kills to make it a 19-16 game, but that was as close as the Pride would get as a late 3-0 Leopard run sealed a 25-18 set two victory.
•  The Leopards opened the third set with six straight points before an error slowed their momentum. The Pride clawed back within four after a Watt kill and a Nangle service ace made it 15-11. They continued to fight, eventually tying the set at 21 following a Valdes kill, but the Leopards closed it out with four unanswered points to secure the 3-0 match victory.

Regis vs. Rivier

• Back-to-back kills from Valdes gave the Pride an early 5-2 lead. They maintained a multi-point advantage until a trio of Raider kills cut the deficit to one at 15-14. However, that was as close as Rivier would get, as five unanswered points propelled the Pride to a 25-18 first-set victory.
• Set two featured a tightly contested start, with Rivier earning the first three-point lead after a 3-0 run to go up 16-13. The Pride stayed within reach, tying the set at 18 following a block by Watt and Eddie Djatcha (Lowell, Mass.). However, the Pride managed just one more point as Rivier closed out the set on a strong run to secure a 25-19 victory and even the match at 1-1.
• Much like set two, the third frame began as a back-and-forth battle before the Pride surged ahead with five unanswered points, highlighted by two Watt kills, to take a 21-17 lead. Watt then sealed the set with his fourth kill, giving the Pride a 25-20 win and a 2-1 match advantage.
• The Pride capitalized on four Rivier errors as part of a five-point run to double up the Raiders, 12-6. Rivier fought back, closing the gap to 17-15 after a Pride miscue, but that was as close as they would get. The Pride remained poised down the stretch, closing out the set 25-21 to claim the 3-1 match victory.

Inside the Numbers:

• With his 21st assist in the match against Wentworth, Tyrell Bucasas became just the second player in Regis College Men's Volleyball history to surpass 2,000 career assists. The senior continued his strong play, recording 41 assists against Rivier for his fifth 40-plus assist performance of the season.
• John Nangle set a new career high with five blocks against Rivier, marking a standout defensive performance for the Lowell native.
• With their 3-1 victory, the Pride completed the season sweep over Rivier.

Up Next:

The Pride return home on Thursday, April 3, to host Emerson College at Higgins Court at 7 p.m., where they will honor their seniors prior to the start.