NEWTON, Mass. – The Lasell College men's volleyball team split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tri-match at Regis College Saturday afternoon at Higgins Court, defeating the host Pride in the opener, 3-1, but falling to Emmanuel College in the second match of the day, 3-1.

The Lasers end the day with a 9-11 overall record and 3-3 mark in the GNAC. Emmanuel, which defeated Regis in the final match of the day, is now 14-9 overall and 3-2 in conference play and Regis is now 7-9 overall and 1-5 in GNAC play.

Lasell returns home for a pair of GNAC this week at the Athletic Center, hosting Johnson & Wales University on Tuesday, March 19 at 7 p.m., and Colby-Sawyer College on Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m.

Lasell 3, Regis 1

Lasell won the first two sets, 25-18, 25-22, before the Pride came back to take the third set, 25-22. But the Lasers closed out the match with a 25-15 score in the final set.

Sophomore Aaron Waitekus (Norwood, Mass.) and junior Scott Sterenberg (Oceanside, N.Y.) smashed 11 kills each against the Pride, with Waitekus hitting with a .550 percentage (11-0-20) and Sterenberg at a .200 clip (11-5-30) along with four service aces. Sophomore Conor Leary-Watson (Bethany, Conn.) added eight kills with .333 attack percentage (8-3-15), and senior Andy Henriquez (Lawrence, Mass.) and junior Janci Soto (Lawrence, Mass.) had seven kills apiece.

Defensively, sophomore Dillon DeSouza (Enfield, Conn.) made a team-high six blocks, and Henriquez made a team-high 11 digs to go along with his 32 assists. Sophomore Cobi Moore (Hampstead, N.H.) chipped in with eight digs.

Lasell hit with a .254 attack percentage in the match, including .367 in the first set (16 kills-5 errors-30 attempts).

Emmanuel 3, Lasell 1

Lasell won the first set against Emmanuel, 25-18, but the Saints took the next three, 25-21, 25-18, and 25-22.

Sterenberg led the Lasers with 12 kills, hitting at .159 (12-5-44). Leary-Watson had seven kills and four ases, and DeSouza, Soto and Waitekus contributed six winners each. Henriquez ran the offense to the tune of 32 assists.

The Lasers were good for 11 team blocks in the setback, including six from Waitekus and five apiece from DeSouza and Henriquez. Senior Jordan Aprea (Newington, Conn.) and Henriquez led the back row players with 14 and 13 digs, respectively.

Lasell recorded a .241 hitting percentage in its first-set victory, but Emmanuel kept the Lasers under .100 the last three sets.

-- 30 --