Women’s Volleyball Drops Two at ENC Invitational

QUINCY, Mass. – Regis College allowed host school Eastern Nazarene to rally for a 3-2 victory (23-25, 20-25, 25-9, 25-17, 15-5), and then the Pride lost to the University of New England, 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 27-25), Saturday as the Eastern Nazarene Invitational continued at the Lahue PE Center.

Eastern Nazarene 3, Regis 2

Katryna Veasey (Quincy, Mass.) notched her second double-double in as many matches with 12 kills and 10 digs, while Olivia Pacheco (Waterford, Conn.) finished with eight kills. Valerie Whalen (Stoughton, Mass.) and Julia Pelland (Brockton, Mass.) earned seven kills apiece, and Tori Ondris (Mineola, N.Y.) collected 26 assists and eight digs. Defensively, Lauren Butt (Topsfield, Mass.) led at the net with six block assists, and Mica van der Meulen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) led the backline with 14 digs.

The Pride scored four of the first five points of the match and maintained a small advantage throughout most of the first set, increasing it to 20-14 on two kills by Whalen bookending a block by Pelland and Rita Dow (Nashua, N.H.). Eastern Nazarene rattled off eight straight points and took the lead on a kill by Ruth Aguilar, but Regis rebounded, scoring five of the final six points of the opening set, capped by a service ace from Kate Flemming (Woburn, Mass.).

The second set was tight early until Regis put together an 8-3 scoring run, capped by kills from Veasey and Ondris. The Lions responded with seven unanswered points, including consecutive blocks both involving Jaclyn Teed and Halle Julian. The Pride answered back, closing out the second set on a 10-3 scoring run, punctuated by consecutive kills from Whalen and Dow.

Eastern Nazarene (1-3) controlled the third set, scoring the first five points and opening an 18-5 lead. The Lions finished off the set with four straight points, led by two kills from Courtney McCarthy and one kill and one service ace by Aguilar.

The Lions took a 4-0 lead in the fourth set, but Regis fought back, as Pelland earned three kills to help the Pride take a 10-9 lead. Eastern Nazarene rattled off nine straight points, led by Aguilar with three kills, but Regis again closed its deficit to four at 20-16 on a kill by Dow. The Nor'easters scored five of the final six points of the set, including two blocks in a row by Teed and Julian.

The home team scored seven of the first eight points of the final set, and then McCarthy and Rebecca Thorne earned two kills apiece to give the Lions a 12-3 advantage. Eastern Nazarene completed its comeback with a kill by Samantha Caldwell and a service ace from McCarthy.

Aguilar notched a double-double with 20 kills and 17 digs, as did McCarthy with 10 kills and 17 digs, with both players earning three service aces apiece. Caldwell also finished with a double-double after collecting 43 assists and 17 digs, and Julian contributed 15 kills, a .619 hitting percentage, and seven block assists to the winning effort.

University of New England 3, Regis 0

Butt and Pelland led the Pride with seven kills and four block assists apiece, while Veasey finished with six kills, 12 digs, and four total blocks. Dow added five kills, three service aces, and four block assists, and van der Meulen once again led the defense in the backline with 15 digs.

Regis took a 9-5 lead early in the first set after back-to-back kills by Pacheco and Butt, but the Nor'easters went on a 13-3 scoring run, led by Molly Camelo with three kills. Another kill by Butt pulled the Pride to within four late in the set, but UNE scored the final four points of the opening set, punctuated by three straight service aces from Stephanie Erickson.

UNE (5-1) jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the second set thanks in part to consecutive service aces by Katie Marsh. The Nor'easters put together a 10-2 scoring run later in the set, led by Camelo and Micaela McNamara with two kills and a block assist apiece. The combination of Dow, Pelland, and Veasey accounted for seven straight Pride points to close to within five at 21-16, but UNE scored four of the final five points to clinch the second set.

The Pride scored five straight points early in the third set to open a 6-2 lead, but UNE quickly responded with an 18-3 scoring run. Regis did not give up, putting together its own 12-2 scoring run, capped by a kill from Amalia Torres (Hacienda Heights, Calif.) and a service ace from Dow, to tie the set at 23-23. A block by Veasey and Butt gave Regis the chance to extend the match into a fourth set, but Erickson earned a solo block and a service ace to give the Nor'easters the victory.

Katie Flynn led the Nor'easters with eight kills, plus she had eight digs, while Erickson finished with seven service aces. Sydney Christiansen dished out 22 assists, and Marsh paced the UNE backline with 17 defensive digs.

Regis (1-3) opens its home schedule Tuesday, Sept. 10, against New England College beginning at 6 p.m. at Higgins Court.