BOSTON – After a slow start, Regis College battled back to challenge one of the top teams in the league, but Suffolk University won enough important points to earn a 3-1 victory (25-18, 26-28, 25-22, 25-20) Wednesday night in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference women's volleyball match at Smith Court.
Katryna Veasey (Quincy, Mass.) notched her 12th double-double of the season as she led the Pride with 15 kills to go along with 15 digs. Rita Dow (Nashua, N.H.) collected nine kills on 13 attempts with just one attack error for a .615 hitting percentage. Defensively, Mica van der Meulen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) led the Pride with 21 digs, and Meg Adams (Ware, Mass.) contributed 13 digs to go along with two service aces.
Suffolk (17-8, 7-1 GNAC) won nine of the first 10 points of the match, led by Stephanie Rheaume with a kill and three block assists. The Pride cut into the Ram lead with a 9-3 scoring run, but Suffolk responded with a 6-2 scoring run to extend its advantage back to seven at 18-11. Regis closed to within two thanks to a 7-2 scoring stretch, but the Rams won the final five points of the opening set, including a kill by Dakhensey Marcellus and a service ace from Kenzley Bell.
The Rams opened a 9-4 lead early in the second set before Regis battled back with three straight points. Suffolk scored four unanswered points, including consecutive kills by Kayla Barbera, but the Pride quickly rebounded with a 9-3 scoring run to tie the set at 16-16. The Rams had four chances to clinch the set, but Regis held off every attempt, using kills by Veasey and Lauren Butt (Topsfield, Mass.) to win the second set and tie the match at one set apiece.
Two kills and a service ace by Veasey early in the third set allowed Regis to pull ahead, 8-4, and the Pride would stay on top through most of the set. However, Suffolk rallied from a 21-19 deficit by scoring six of the final seven points of the set, taking advantage of three straight Pride errors to clinch the set and take a 2-1 match lead.
Down 6-5 in the fourth set after a kill by Veasey, Suffolk scored six of the next seven points to take an 11-7 lead. Regis closed to within one at 17-16, but the Rams rattled off four straight points to extend their lead back to five. Regis responded with three straight points, but Suffolk closed out the set and the match by scoring four of the final five points.
Barbera notched a double-double with 21 kills and 16 digs, plus she posted a .475 hitting percentage. Hannah Fabiano also earned a double-double with 12 kills and 12 digs to go along with three service aces, while setter Harmony Johnson finished with 49 assists, four service aces, and six digs. Bell contributed nine kills and 16 digs, and Marcellus led the Rams with 22 digs.
Regis (9-15, 3-4 GNAC) heads to Boston for a tri-match Saturday, Oct. 26, first facing host Emmanuel at 11 a.m. before taking on Norwich at 1 p.m. The Pride return to Higgins Court to take on Rivier Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m.