PROVIDENCE, R.I. (4/8/17) – The Lasell men's volleyball team capped its winningest season off with a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tri-match sweep against Johnson & Wales and Emmanuel College on Saturday evening in Providence, R.I. Lasell's 28-5 overall record, and 13-1 GNAC record earns them the #2 seed in conference standings, along with a first-round bye in the postseason tournament.
Tristan Davis (Rochester, N.Y.) led the Lasers to a 3-1 victory against the host Wildcats by set scores of 25-17, 25-15, 23-25, and 25-20. Davis swung into a match-best 19 kills with just six errors on 32 attempts for a .406 hitting percentage. Classmates Patrick MacDonald (Floral Park, N.Y.) and Jeffrey Vautrin (Chicopee, Mass.) registered 11 and 12 kills, respectively, with MacDonald combing for five blocks in the effort. Scott Sterenberg (Oceanside, N.Y.), Janci Soto (Lawrence, Mass.) and Saunoa Afoa (Las Vegas, Nev.) jumped up for three blocks apiece as well, joining Jordan Aprea's (Newington, Conn.) 17 digs in a solid defensive effort. Afoa served as Lasell's dominant setter with 26 assists while Andy Henriquez (Lawrence, Mass.) had 17.
In the middle match, Davis steered the Lasers' to its five-game winning streak closer on another tremendous hitting percentage of .750. In its 21st straight sweep of the 2017 campaign, Lasell downed Emmanuel by set scores of 25-10, 25-18, and 25-12, led by Davis, MacDonald (nine kills) and Vautrin (seven kills). Aprea was again Lasell's defensive force on nine digs, while David Anthony (Cranston, R.I.) hit the floor for five.
Lasell will host the winner of Emmanuel and Rivier's first round matchup on Thursday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m. The Saints and Raiders will square off on Tuesday, April 11 at 7:00 p.m. in Nashua, N.H.