Pride Secure GNAC Sweep with Wins Over Simmons and Mitchell

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Regis College women's volleyball team stayed in Connecticut this afternoon for a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tri-match, taking on Simmons University and host Mitchell College. The Pride earned victories in both contests, defeating the Sharks 3-1 before sweeping the host Mariners 3-0. The wins improve Regis' record to 4-5 overall and 2-0 in GNAC play. 

Regis vs. Simmons 

Regis used a 5-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back service aces from Beatriz Paulo (Newton, Mass.), to jump ahead 7-3. The Pride extended their advantage to 13-7 before Simmons responded with a 7-0 surge to move in front. An Avery Mola(Cheshire, Conn.) kill halted the Sharks' momentum and knotted the score at 14. Regis regained a slim lead, but Simmons closed the frame on a 6-1 run to escape with a 25-23 win in the opening set. 

Set two was all Pride, as they opened on an 8-0 run and added several smaller surges throughout to take set two, 25-15.  

In set three, an Ayla Albers (San Diego, Calif.) kill put Regis in front 8-5, but Simmons kept close and pulled within two after a Pride error (12-10). Regis maintained the slim edge until late, when the Sharks strung together four unanswered points to grab their first lead of the set at 24-23. The Pride responded, as a Mola kill tied it at 24, and two points later Albers sealed the frame with another kill, giving Regis the 26-24 win and a 2-1 lead in the match. 

Once again, the Pride jumped out early, as an Eva Catalanotto (Cheshire, Conn.) kill pushed the lead to 10-5. Regis extended the advantage to as many as seven before Simmons strung together four unanswered points to close the gap to 19-16. The Pride responded with a strong finish, closing the frame on a 6-2 run to secure the 25-18 set win and a 3-1 match victory. 

Regis vs. Mitchell 

Both teams traded points early until Mitchell built a 10-5 lead. A kill from Eva Catalanotto (Whitman, Mass.) halted the Mariners' momentum and sparked an 11-2 Regis run that swung the advantage to the Pride, 16-12. The Pride pieced together several small runs to extend their advantage, and although Mitchell cut the deficit to six after a Regis error, first-years Eva Catalanotto (Whitman, Mass.) and Beatriz Paulo (Newton, Mass.) closed it out with a kill and an ace to lock in the 25-17 opening set victory. 

Set two followed a similar script, with the lead bouncing back and forth before the Pride used a 6-1 run to move ahead 11-8. Later in the set, a trio of kills extended Regis' cushion to 17-11, but Mitchell battled back with a 7-1 surge to pull within 22-21. The Mariners forced a 24-24 deadlock, but Regis answered as Grace Fabiano (Greenland, N.H.) delivered a kill and then teamed up with Avery Mola (Cheshire, Conn.) for a block, clinching the 26-24 set and a 2-0 match lead. 

A pair of kills from Fabiano and a block helped the Pride build an early 7-2 lead in set three. Regis extended their advantage after an Albers kill made it 14-6, but the Mariners rallied with a series of runs to pull within one at 17-16. That would be as close as Mitchell would get, as two kills from Paulo followed by a finishing Fabiano kill sealed a 25-21 set victory and a clean match sweep for the Pride. 

Inside the Numbers 

• Four players in game one registered 10 or more points, with Avery Mola leading the way with nine kills, three aces, and two blocks. 

• Beatriz Paulo had career-higs in service aces (4) and digs (11) against Simmons.  

• Alexandra Rivera (Bristol, Conn.) had a season-high 35 assists in both matches.   

• Grace Fabiano spearheaded the Pride in game two with 11 kills and four blocks.  

• Gwen Arnold (West Hartford, Conn.) recorded double-digit kills in both matches this afternoon, notching 15 against Simmons and 10 versus Mitchell. 

Up Next 
The Pride return to Higgins Court on Wednesday, Sept. 17, to open a four-match homestand, welcoming Salve Regina at 6 p.m.