NEWTON, Mass. (3/24/15) – The Lasell College Lasers defeated the Mount Ida Mustangs in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) match-up on Tuesday, March 24 in the Lasell College Athletic Center in three straight sets by scores of 25-12, 25-14, and 25-16. 

Junior Dalton Whitman (Meriden, Conn.) tallied a game-high and career-high eight kills in the victory, while sophomore Tristan Davis (Rochester, N.Y.) and junior Ryan Jackson (Canton, Ohio) chipped in with seven and six kills, respectively.  Senior Matthew Dugan (New Lenox, Ill.) led the team in assists with 15, while junior Andrew Glenn (Westport, Conn.) had 11 in the match. 

Junior James Ames (West Hartford, Conn.) registered a team-high six kills, while junior Michael McCullough (Southborough, Mass.) set the ball a match-high 17 times.

The Lasers and Mustangs opened the first stanza by trading the first 12 points (6-6) until Dugan took over the court with six straight serves giving the Lasers a 12-6 lead.  Sophomore William Gold (Ridgefield, Conn.) slotted Lasell seven more points giving the Lasers a six point lead (19-7). The Mustangs squeezed in five more points before Lasell closed the set with a service ace from Davis, 25-12.

The Mustangs were only able to close the lead of the second set to seven when junior Dennis Miranda (Havana, Cuba) served resulting in a Whitman attacking error, 14-7.   Lasell's 8-3 run featured blocks from junior Davonte Johnson (Springfield, Mass.) and Davis and three straight successful serves from Davis (10-22).  The Lasers let up three straight points to sophomore Peter Griffenkranz's (Deer Park, N.Y.) serves, but ended the set with a Gold service resulting in a senior Kalyn Smithson (Vilseck, Germany) attacking error. 

Lasell led end-to-end in the final set with an 8-1 run in the opening plays to secure an eventual 25-16 set victory and a 3-0 match win.

Both teams resume GNAC action on Thursday, March 26. The Lasers travel to New Haven, Conn. to take on the Albertus Magnus Falcons for a 7:00 p.m. start as the Mustangs host the Rivier Raiders with the first set slated for 6:00 p.m.