PRIDE FORCE CRITICAL GAME FIVE IN 3-2 DEFEAT OF ANNA MARIA

Weston, Mass.-Opening with The Commonwealth Coast Conference opponent Anna Maria College, the Pride's Caitlin Luquet (Walnut Creek, Calif.) served up a game five winning serve to lift the Pride to a 3-2 victory Saturday.

Determination Key for AMCats in Game One, Win 25-22

Returning to the court, the Pride's Melissa Frederique (Manchester, N.H.) sent a kill to the floor of the AMCats defense. A ball-handling error by the AMCats Alicia Bonneau (Worcester, Mass.) would put Regis within one point when Anna Maria would then take its first timeout.

Knotted at 14 apiece, Bonneau would send a serve into the net, giving the Pride a slight advantage. Down by two, Frederique would send her shot into the net, when Leah Murphy (Wareham, Mass.) looked to keep Anna Maria in contention when she sent her attack over the net into the Regis defense.

A one-handed save by Domingas Gomes (Brockton, Mass.) kept Regis alive, although down 22-20. Anna Maria would make a strategic comeback over the Pride to win game one 25-22.

Down But Not Out in 26-24 Game Two Victory for AMCats.

The AMCats Marie Barral (Worcester, Mass.) would make a diving dig to set Sandy Acosta (Lawrence, Mass.) for the kill to the Regis defense. Down two points, Anna Maria's Bonneau would commit a ball-handling error to put Regis up three. Murphy remained consistent in her attack, blocking the Pride's Alanna DelRose (Watertown, Mass.) at the net.

Senior Allie Freeman (Meriden, Conn.) made an attempt to dig the Pride's Lauren Ross (Dracut, Mass.) attack, but her return would sail out of play. Sophomore Caitlin Luquet (Walnut Creek, Calif.) served Regis to a six-point lead at 16-10, before assisting Gomes for the kill.

She would return to assist Frederique at 20-12 when the AMCats Ashley Scionti (Prospect, Conn.) would collide with a teammate forcing her to miss an opportunity at a dig.

Nicole Robbie (Bellingham, Mass.) came through for the AMCats sending her attack to the feet of a Regis defender. Costa again made her presence felt blocking an attack by the Pride's Ross.

Up by six, Regis would call a timeout to save its 21-17 lead. Robbie served up four assists in game two putting Anna Maria down by one. A ball-handling error charged to Bonneau gave Regis a 24-21. The Pride would concede its three-point lead when seniors DelRose and Mandy Hoyt (Madison, N.H) committed back-to-back errors.

Its errors would prove to be detrimental as the AMCats Costa and Bonneau would again come to the rescue lifting them to a 26-24 game two victory.

Ross Lifts Pride to 25-15 Victory

In the longest volley of the match with each team possessing the ball at least four times, Costa had seen enough when she forced her shot to the heart of the Regis defense.

Patience played a key through the first seven points as the team that waited for its scoring window to open had the best chance at obtaining the point. That window began to open when the Pride's Hoyt and Ross earned consecutive kills to put Regis up three.

At 11-7 the AMCats stepped to the court with the mindset that this was a "new game," said head coach Elysce Tackmann.

That statement seemed to prove true for both teams when Frederique served in an ace.

With a maintained four-point advantage, Regis opened that lead by one when Murphy sent her serve long past the out of bounds line. DelRose helped when she served an ace to the heart of the AMCats backline.

Up 24-15, the Pride's Ross would finally give Regis its first win with a kill from a Luquet assist.

Pride Rise to the Occasion, Force Critical Game FIve

Regis opened with a 10-3 lead before the AMCats began giving the Pride a run at winning the match. At 21-14, the AMCats would call a timeout to give it a chance at edging into the Pride's lead.

Ahead two games to one, Anna Maria was not looking forward to a fifth. Frederique, Luquet, and Hoyt were set on making sure that a game five was exactly what the AMCats got.

Murphy was not as consistent as games prior, striking an attack long past the end line to give the Pride its needed game four win at 25-14.

Luquet Issues Game-Winning Serve to Keep Pride Alive in Game Five

In a constant battle for points in the teams run to 15, Anna Maria would call a timeout up two points at 11-9. A shallow serve from Pride newcomer Luqet would give her the ace. Frederique and DelRose would combine to issue blocks to an attack from Murphy, which gave the Pride a one-point lead at 12-11.

Hoyt would appear with a strike to the AMCats Brittany Langdeau (Wolcott, Conn.) that was just out of reach.

Up 14-11, Luquet would give Regis the game-winning ace.