NEWTON, Mass. – The Lasell College men's volleyball team got strong performances from its four seniors Thursday evening on Senior Night as the Lasers swept Regis College, 3-0, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action at the Lasell Athletic Center.
The Lasers won by set scores of 25-20, 25-23, and 25-14 to improve to 13-14 overall and 7-5 in conference play, while Regis falls to 10-14 overall and 3-10 in the GNAC. Lasell remains alive for home-court advantage in the first round of the GNAC playoffs next Tuesday.
Junior Janci Soto (Lawrence, Mass.) led all Lasell hitters with nine kills, while senior Nate Gallo (East Providence, R.I.) had six kills. Seniors Andy Henriquez (Lawrence, Mass.) and David Anthony (Cranston, R.I.) had five kills each, with Henriquez hitting at a .714 clip (5-0-7) and Anthony hitting .444 (5-1-9). Henriquez posted 24 assists and senior Jordan Aprea (Newington, Conn.) recorded a team-high nine digs.
Senior Drew Beimel (Redondo Beach, Calif.) led the Pride with 11 kills, while freshman Matt Ferrara (Haverhill, Mass.) finished with eight kills and five digs and sophomore Kostea Andreenko (Marstons Mills, Mass.) contributed seven kills and four blocks. Sophomore Sebastian Valdes (Diamond Bar, Calif.) accumulated 24 assists.
Lasell took an early lead in the opening set thanks to three straight points, but a 4-1 Regis run closed its deficit to 12-11. The Lasers reestablished their four-point lead on two kills by Henriquez, but the Pride scored four unanswered points, led by Ferrara with two kills. Lasell closed out the first set with an 8-3 scoring run, led by three kills from Soto.
Two kills from Andreenko allowed the Pride to take an early 4-2 lead in the second set, but Lasell came back with a 7-2 scoring run, led by two kills from sophomore Aaron Waitekus (Norwood, Mass.). After Regis pulled into a 14-14 tie, the Lasers scored six straight points to pull ahead. The Pride closed to within one thanks to an 8-2 scoring run, but Lasell clinched the set on a kill by sophomore Conor Leary-Watson (Bethany, Conn.).
The Lasers grabbed control of the third set by scoring nine of the first 10 points, starting with consecutive service aces by Henriquez. After Regis cut its deficit to five at 12-7, Lasell put together an 8-1 scoring run, and then the Lasers finished off the set and the match with a solo block by Leary-Watson.
The Lasers will wrap up the regular season on Saturday, April 6, with a tri-match at Johnson & Wales University with Emmanuel College, the two teams that Lasell is battling for playoff positions. JWU is currently in third place in the GNAC with an 8-4 conference record, while Lasell and Emmanuel are tied for fourth place at 7-5. The third and fourth-place teams will host playoff matches on Tuesday evening.
Regis closes the regular season at Wentworth Saturday, April 6, starting at 11 a.m. The Pride need to defeat the Leopards and have Emerson lose once Saturday, or see the Lions lose to both Rivier and Colby-Sawyer, in order to clinch the sixth and final spot in the GNAC Tournament.
(Contributions from Regis Athletic Communications)
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