Pride Women’s Volleyball Loses Five-Set Contest

QUINCY, Mass. – Regis College won two of the first three sets, but host Eastern Nazarene battled back to defeat the Pride, 3-2 (17-25, 25-20, 20-25, 25-16, 15-11), Friday evening in the opening match of the ENC Invitational women's collegiate volleyball tournament at the Lahue Athletic Center.

Rita Dow (Nashua, N.H.) led the Pride with 14 kills on a .379 hitting percentage along with three total blocks, while Valerie Whalen (Stoughton, Mass.) collected 13 kills and three block assists. Karly Sanborn (Gilmanton, N.H.) notched her second double-double in as many matches with 34 assists and a career-high 16 digs, and Kamdyn Tenorio (Irvine, Calif.) once again led the team in digs with 26 to go along with seven kills. Regis libero Mica van der Meulen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) contributed 13 digs, a match-high six service aces, and five assists.

The Pride scored five straight points early in the first set to open a 7-3 lead, and then rattled off another 5-0 run to extend that advantage to 14-7. Regis would eventually close out the opening set by scoring the final three points on a kill and consecutive blocks by Whalen and Ahnasia Mckinney (Chelmsford, Mass.).

Eastern Nazarene (2-5) put together a 6-1 run in the second set to take a 10-7 lead, but Regis would stay close, eventually cutting the Lion lead to one at 17-16 on a kill by Kate Flemming (Woburn, Mass.). Eastern Nazarene finished out the set on consecutive kills by Emma Graves to tie the match at one set apiece.

In the third set, Regis took the early lead and extended it to 14-9 on consecutive kills by Dow, but the Lions scored eight unanswered points, led by Eliana Baran with three kills, to pull ahead, 17-14. The Pride would respond, closing out the set on a 10-2 scoring run, led by Whalen with three kills and two service aces by van der Meulen.

After Regis scored the first two points of the fourth set, Eastern Nazarene scored the next eight points to take control, followed by six straight points to open an 18-7 advantage. Regis fought back with a 9-1 scoring run to close to within three, but the Lions won the final six points, capped by three kills and a solo block from Graves, to tie the contest and force the deciding fifth set.

The two teams split the first 10 points of the fifth set before the Lions won four of five points to establish a 10-6 lead. A kill by Whalen capped a quick 4-0 Pride run to tie the set at 10-10, but Eastern Nazarene ended the match with a kill by Graves, a service ace from Jessica Caldwell, and two Regis errors.

Baran notched a double-double, leading everyone with 21 kills to go along with 18 digs, while Graves finished with 18 kills on a .343 hitting percentage and six total blocks. Telma Zelaya finished with 43 assists, 22 digs, and eight kills in 17 attempts without an attack error, and Amya Altman added 20 digs to the winning effort.

Regis College (0-3) continues play at the ENC Invitational Saturday, Sept. 11, first facing Colby-Sawyer College in a non-conference match at 12 p.m. before taking on Husson University at 2 p.m.