The Lasell College men's volleyball team hosted their first tri-match of the 2009 season with the Lynx of Lesley University and the Chargers of Lancaster Bible College. The Lasers won on both ends, sweeping both teams 3-0. The Chargers split the day, taking home their second win of the season in the second match of the day, beating the Lynx, 3-0.
Lasell ran away with match from the onset, overpowering the Lynx in three sets: 30-10, 30-19, 30-15. Lasell's middle hitters, Dan Rogers (Belchertown, Mass.) and Dustin Foster (Ashford, Conn.) were unstoppable at the net. Rogers hit 100% in the match, putting down 7 kills. Foster hit .857 in the match, going 6 for 7, and had five consecutive service aces in the third set.
Gary Gay (Belchertown, Mass.) and Zack Smith (Agawam, Mass.) each contributed 7 digs for the Lasers and Brendan McGourn (Southington, Conn.) registered 24 assists and 3 aces.
Nick Assad (Andover, Mass.) proved to be the Lynx best all around player for the contest, closing out with six kills and four digs. Clayton Janer (Guilford, Conn.) set up 10 assists through the match.
After Lancaster Bible (2-8) took away a second win from Lesley (0-8), the Chargers faced Lasell in the final matchup.
In the opening frame, the Chargers came out ahead with a 13-9 lead. The Lasers came back to take pull ahead when sophomore opposite Matt Roberts (Agawam, Mass.) hammered home a kill, giving the Lasers an slim advantage all they way to the first game point.
After a side out on game point, Lancaster charged back into a 30-all tie, staying in the game because of the play of Stephen Osborn (Coatesville, PA) who hit a .625 clip and had a set-high 5 kills. However, it was Dan Rogers and Andy Cass (Wakefield, RI) who put down the final two kills for the Lasers, taking the first game, 33-31.
Lasell used the momentum of the first set to open with an 11-4 run in the second. The Chargers once again battled back on a five point stretch which included four kills by Ben Bewley (Lancaster, PA) and an ace by Jake Harbold (Chaing Mai, Thailand) which brought the score within two points. Lasell answered with an 8-0 sprint, and left Lancaster in a hole they could not recover from. McGourn and Trevor Foster (Ashford, Conn.) teamed up to block to register the final two points, as the Lasers left the Chargers behind, 30-20.
The final frame was a Laser show from start to finish. David Rogers (Belchertown, Mass.) connected on 7 of 10 swings, coupled with Dan Rogers 6 kills on 7 attempts to lead for the home squad. Joseph Lipski (Burlington, Conn.) cleaned up on defense with five digs in the set, and a match-high 13 digs.
Roberts and Trevor Foster tallied 11 kills a piece, Foster adding 3 blocks. Dave Rogers added ten more kills and McGourn produced a double-double in assists and digs, setting up 40 points and picking up 10 balls.
Osborn went 11 for 19 on attacks for Lancaster, hitting .421 overall, while the chargers hit only a .092 as a team. Bewley almost hit a triple-double with 17 assists, 10 digs and 9 kills, while also throwing in two service aces.
Lasell plays again on Monday night against GNAC pre-season favorite Rivier College. The Lasers and the Raiders meet at 7:00 p.m. in the Athletic Center.