QUINCY, Mass. – After losing the first two sets, Regis College extended its match against Framingham State by taking the third set, but the Rams were able to pull out the fourth set for a 3-1 victory (25-11, 25-18, 14-25, 25-21) over the Pride Friday evening in the first match of the Eastern Nazarene Invitational at the Lahue PE Center.
Katryna Veasey (Quincy, Mass.) collected a career-high 21 kills, plus she notched a double-double with 11 digs to go along with three total blocks. The setting duties were split between Tori Ondris (Mineola, N.Y.) with 22 assists and Karly Sanborn (Gilmanton, N.H.) with 21 assists, and Mica van der Meulen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) led the defense in the backline with 22 digs.
Framingham State (1-1) put together a 15-2 scoring run in the first set, led by Brandey Rodriguez with two kills and a block as well as Natalie Reid with three service aces. The Rams clinched the opening set by scoring the final four points, capped by a kill by Brandee Thomas.
Regis scored five of the first six points of the second set, led by two kills from Veasey and a block by Rita Dow (Nashua, N.H.) and Olivia Pacheco (Waterford, Conn.). Two kills by Payton Hodsdon helped the Rams go on an 8-2 scoring run to take the lead, and then Framingham State closed out the set on a 9-2 run, punctuated by consecutive kills from Anna Szymanski.
The Rams scored the first three points of the third set, but Regis responded with six unanswered points later in the set to open a 12-9 advantage. Framingham State pulled to within one on a kill by Szymanski, but Regis rattled off eight straight points, led by Veasey with two kills and a block assist. The Pride scored the final four points of the set, led by Julia Pelland (Brockton, Mass.) with a kill and two total blocks.
One kill and two blocks involving Hailey Sanders helped the Rams open an early 5-2 lead in the fourth set, and then a 6-1 scoring run later in the set extended the Framingham State advantage to 18-10. The Pride closed to within three late in the set on a block by Veasey and Lauren Butt (Topsfield, Mass.), but Szymanski earned her team-high ninth kill to clinch the match for the Rams.
Rodriguez, Hodsdon, and Deirdre Fay contributed seven kills apiece for the Rams, with Fay also earning two service aces and 10 digs. Reid collected 19 assists, four service aces, and eight digs. Defensively, Sanders led Framingham State at the net with six total blocks, while Alyssa Cafarelli paced the backline with 14 digs.
Regis (1-1) returns to action Saturday, Sept. 7, for matches against host Eastern Nazarene at 10 a.m. and University of New England at 2 p.m.