Pride Rally to Defeat Worcester State, 3-2

WESTON, Mass. - Regis College won the first two sets before Worcester State bounced back to take the next two sets and force a deciding fifth set, where the Pride came from behind to prevail over the Lancers, 3-2 (25-16, 25-18, 23-25, 16-25, 15-12), Tuesday night in a non-conference women's collegiate volleyball match at Higgins Court.

Ahnasia Mckinney (Chelmsford, Mass.) notched her seventh career triple-double with a career-high 17 kills along with 24 assists and 12 digs. Grace Fabiano (Greenland, N.H.) and Kate Montigny (Shrewsbury, Mass.) earned nine kills apiece while Avery Mola (Cheshire, Conn.) finished with eight kills, three service aces, and 10 digs. Ayla Albers (San Diego, Calif.) led the Pride with a career-high six service aces, Alexandra Rivera (Bristol, Conn.) collected 23 assists and eight digs, and Kamdyn Tenorio (Irvine, Calif.) finished with five service aces along with a team-high 21 digs.

Regis won the first point of the final set before Worcester State rattled off five straight points, led by a kill and a service ace from Cassie Millea. The Pride quickly responded with six unanswered points, paced by Mola with three kills, before a kill by Katie Cueva and a Regis attack error tied the set at 7-7. Regis put together a 5-1 scoring run and the Lancers answered with a 4-1 scoring stretch before kills by Mckinney and Mola closed out the match for the home team.

The Pride opened the contest with nine straight points, led by four service aces from Tenorio, and eventually opened a 13-2 advantage. Later in the first set, the Lancers put together a quick 5-0 run, capped by consecutive service aces from Megan Bardis, but Regis responded with the final four points of the opening set, including a service ace by Montigny and a solo block by Mola.

The Lancers scored five of the first six points of the second set, but Albers quickly brought the Pride within one point thanks to back-to-back service aces. Regis outscored Worcester State 15-5 midway through the set to take control, and the home team would increase its match lead to 2-0 with two kills by Mola.

The Pride raced out to a 7-2 lead in the third set, led by Mckinney and Montigny with two kills apiece. Down 16-12 after a kill by Fabiano, the Lancers rattled off an 11-2 scoring run, led in part by Cassidy D'Esposito with two kills and a block assist, to pull ahead 23-18. Regis scored five of the next six points, including two more kills from Montigny, to close to within one point at 24-23, but the Lancers took timeout and then clinched the third set on a kill by Kate Stedronsky.

The Lancers took the early lead in the fourth set before Regis went on a 7-2 scoring run, capped by consecutive kills from Mckinney and a service ace by Rivera. Worcester State quickly responded with a 16-3 scoring stretch, taking advantage of numerous Pride attack errors. The Pride attempted to rally, led by Albers with a kill and a service ace, but the visitors would even the match at two sets apiece on a kill by Angela Colonis.

D'Esposito led the Lancers offensively with 13 kills, while Colonis finished with six kills, 19 assists, three service aces, and a team-high 21 digs. Worcester State libero Katherine Crateau also earned three service aces to go along with 16 defensive digs.

Regis College (3-2) heads to Bronxville, N.Y., to face Sarah Lawrence College Friday, Sept. 6, starting at 6 p.m. Worcester State (1-2) returns to the Metro West area to face Framingham State Thursday, Sept. 5, also beginning at 6 p.m.