Men's Volleyball Falls to Blazers In Friday Night Matchup

WESTON, Mass.-- On day two of back-to-back Great Northeast Athletic Conference matchups, the Elms College Blazers came to Weston to take on the Pride. In a four-set match the Blazers would get the best of the Pride beating them three sets to one. With tonights loss, the Pride's record drops to an even 9-9, and 0-2 in GNAC play.

Jalen Watt was the one to watch tonight as he connected with Evan Shank for 20 kills, Haden Houatchanthara provided on the defensive end, pick up 16 digs.

For the Blazers, Hunter Ladouceur would run the offense with 34 kills. Nick Uschmann would add 17 kills.

How It Happened

In the opening set, the Pride traded points early behind kills from Jalen Watt and John Nangle, with setter Evan Shank orchestrating the offense. Regis used a strong stretch midway through the frame, including a block from Watt and Nangle and a Vincent Betonio spark off the bench, to take a brief lead. Late kills from Watt and Brandon Valdes pulled the Pride within one at 24-23, but Elms capitalized in the final rally to secure the 25-23 win.

The second set followed a similar pattern, with Regis using an early run highlighted by consecutive Valdes kills to take momentum. Shank added offensive production of his own while continuing to distribute effectively, and Bonica and Nangle each recorded key swings to keep the set within reach. With the score tied at 18-18, Elms responded with a late surge, taking advantage of a few Pride attack errors to close the set 25-22 and take a 2-0 lead in the match.

Regis responded convincingly in the third set, delivering its strongest performance of the night. After breaking an early tie, the Pride rattled off a decisive scoring run fueled by Watt's offensive firepower and aggressive serving from Shank, who recorded multiple aces during the stretch. Bonica and Valdes added timely kills, while the Regis block tightened up at the net to limit Elms' options. The Pride extended the lead to double digits and cruised to a commanding 25-14 victory to force a fourth set.

In the final frame, Elms jumped out to an lead this time, but Regis chipped away behind kills from Watt and Valdes and a service ace from Betonio to pull within one at 9-8. The Pride stayed within striking distance throughout the set, closing the gap to 23-21 after back-to-back points sparked by defensive pressure and transition offense. Watt delivered a late kill to make it 24-22, but Elms answered on the next rally to seal the match, 25-22, despite a resilient effort from Regis down the stretch.

Inside The Numbers

• Jalen Watt's 20 kills were his most in a match this season.
• Evan Shank's 40 assists tonight is his third game this season with 40 or more.

Up Next

The Pride will wrap up their three game homestand on Wednesday, March 4th when Endicott College comes to town for a non-conference matchup at 7pm.