Pride Volleyball Sweeps Through Saturday GNAC Matches

WESTON, Mass. – Regis College opened Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play in convincing fashion, sweeping both Anna Maria College and Emmanuel College Saturday in women's collegiate volleyball action at Higgins Court.

Regis College 3, Anna Maria College 0 (25-7, 25-9, 25-16)

Valerie Whalen (Stoughton, Mass.) led Regis with nine kills and three total blocks, plus she posted a .692 hitting percentage as she did not make an attack error. Kamdyn Tenorio (Irvine, Calif.) also finished with nine kills along with nine digs, and Tyler Wax (San Diego, Calif.) earned 11 service aces during the contest.

The Pride scored the first four points in the match and then rattled off 13 straight points with Wax at the service line. After closing out the first set, Regis opened the second set by outscoring Anna Maria, 16-2, with Wax closing out the middle set on consecutive service aces.

Anna Maria scored the first three points of the third set and then took an 8-6 lead on a kill by Sarah Bury and a solo block from Julia Tarantino. The Pride responded with a 9-2 scoring run, capped by kills from Rita Dow (Nashua, N.H.) and Jordan Sterenberg (Oceanside, N.Y.), and then the home team would put together an 8-3 scoring stretch to close out the set and the match, featuring two kills by Kate Montigny (Shrewsbury, Mass.).

Tarantino led the AMCATS with 12 digs and eight assists, but Anna Maria posted a negative hitting percentage as a team. Regis continued its strong play, finishing with a .333 team hitting percentage and 12 service aces while making only three service errors.

Regis College 3, Emmanuel College 0 (25-18, 25-10, 25-9)

Once again, Whalen led the team offensively with nine kills without an attack error for a .474 hitting percentage, while Kai Berning (Corvallis, Ore.) contributed seven kills on 15 attack attempts. Tenorio added five kills, two service aces, and a match-high 19 digs, and Mica van der Meulen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) collected seven service aces and eight digs.

The first half of the first set went back-and-forth, with Emmanuel taking a 9-8 lead on a block by Seana Philips. After a kill by Caitlin Tannian tied the set at 13-13, Regis put together a 10-2 scoring run, capped by kills from Tenorio and Berning. The Pride would close out the set on a kill by Ahnasia Mckinney (Chelmsford, Mass.).

Regis took the lead for good in the second set on consecutive kills by Tenorio, starting a 12-3 scoring run punctuated by a block from Whalen and Mckinney. The Pride would score the final six points of the set, including kills from Berning and Emily Fagundo (Dover, N.H.) as well as a Tenorio service ace.

The Pride scored six of the first seven points of the third set and then, after a service ace by Tannian, rattled off 12 consecutive points on van der Meulen's serve. The home team would finish off the set and the match on a kill by Montigny and back-to-back service aces from Harmony Lopez (Carlsbad, N.M.).

Emmanuel's offense was spread out as five different players finished with at least three kills. Defensively, Tatiana Correia led the Saints with nine digs, followed by Kerry Shea with seven digs.

Emmanuel rebounded with a 3-0 victory (25-13, 25-17, 25-6) over Anna Maria in the final contest of the tri-match. Tannian led the Saints with nine kills, followed by Shea with eight kills, while Brigid Moriarty posted a double-double with 17 assists and 10 service aces. Tarantino led the AMCATS with five kills and 12 assists, plus she earned eight digs, just behind team leader Tabitha Franceschet's 10 defensive digs.

Regis College (8-3, 2-0 GNAC) continues its homestand with a GNAC matchup against Norwich University Tuesday, Sept. 28, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Emmanuel (3-6, 1-2 GNAC) steps out of conference with home matches against Lesley Tuesday and Curry Thursday, both starting at 7 p.m., and Anna Maria (3-8, 0-2 GNAC) also hosts a non-conference contest this week, welcoming NVU-Lyndon Monday, Sept. 27, at 6 p.m.