WESTON, Mass. - For the second straight year, Regis College completed a reverse sweep over Wellesley College, as the Pride rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Blue, 3-2 (14-25, 24-26, 25-18, 26-24, 15-12), Thursday night in a non-conference women's collegiate volleyball match at Higgins Court.
Kate Montigny (Shrewsbury, Mass.) led the Pride with 12 kills, a .524 hitting percentage, and six total blocks, while Avery Mola (Cheshire, Conn.) notched a double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs. Kamdyn Tenorio (Irvine, Calif.) also earned a double-double with 10 kills and 19 digs. Ahnasia Mckinney (Chelmsford, Mass.) finished with eight kills, 24 assists, and 11 digs, Allie Bietz (Branford, Conn.) contributed a season-high 22 assists, and Aryam Serrano-Monserrate (Lake Forest, Calif.) led Regis defensively with a career-high 23 digs.
Down two sets to zero, the Pride won the first three points of the third set and eventually took an 11-5 lead. After a block by Evelyn Hill and Emily Goldstein, Regis scored five of the next six points to extend its lead to 16-8, but the Blue responded with an 8-1 scoring run, capped by kills from Hill and Kate Giang, to close to within one point at 17-16.
After a kill by Rachel Xu brought Wellesley within two points at 19-17, the Pride closed out the third set with a 6-1 scoring run, punctuated by kills from Mckinney and Tenorio.
Wellesley took a 15-6 lead in the fourth set before the Pride battled back, starting with a 6-1 scoring run capped by a kill from Rita Dow (Nashua, N.H.). The Blue would extend their advantage to 23-15 late in the set, but Regis gained the momentum with an 11-1 scoring run, led by Tenorio with three kills and capped by kills from Montigny and Mckinney, to close out the fourth set.
The fifth set featured seven ties and five lead changes, with Regis taking the lead for good at 9-7 on a kill by Montigny and a service ace from Mckinney. After a kill by Giang kept Wellesley within two points at 12-10, consecutive kills by Mola created several match point opportunities for the Pride. The Blue extended the match thanks to a Regis attack error and a kill by Kaija Kunze-Hoeg, but Regis finally clinched the set and the match on a kill by Mckinney.
Giang led all players with 18 kills, while Mary Beeler notched a double-double with 13 kills and 10 digs. Noelle Winn also earned a double-double with 38 assists and 15 digs, and Kunze-Hoeg tied for the match lead with 23 defensive digs.
Regis scored the first four points of the match, but Wellesley quickly responded by taking five of the next six points. After a kill by Montigny brought the Pride within two points at 12-10, the Blue rattled off a 13-4 scoring run, capped by two kills from Beeler, as the visitors hit .440 in the first set.
The second set included 11 ties as the momentum went back and forth throughout the set. Wellesley put together a 7-1 scoring run, capped by a kill from Beeler, to open a 19-15 advantage, and then the Blue reached set point at 24-20 on a Regis attack error. The Pride scored four unanswered points, including consecutive service aces by Serrano-Monserrate, to create the 11th tie of the set at 24-24, but kills by Hill and Giang gave the Blue the 2-0 match lead.
Regis College (13-6) heads to Paxton, Mass., for a conference tri-match Saturday, Oct. 14, facing host Anna Maria at 11 a.m. and New England College at 1 p.m. Wellesley College (8-8) also returns to league play Saturday at Clark University starting at 1 p.m.