DUDLEY, Mass. – The Lasell University men's volleyball team lost a five-set match against the Nichols College Bison Wednesday night, 3-2.

Freshman Garrett Linnell (Las Vegas, Nev.) led the Lasers with 11 kills and nine digs while junior Dillon DeSouza (Enfield, Conn.) added eight kills with a .438 attack efficiency. Junior Cobi Moore (Danville, N.H.) matched a school record for a five-set match with 23 digs in the loss.

Sophomore Lance Law (Taunton, Mass.) earned a match-high 16 kills to go along with 15 digs while senior setter Kevin Keohane (Jefferson, N.J.) recorded a match-high 35 assists in the win.

The Lasers went down early in the first set 10-12 before a 6-0 run to secure a three-point lead. The Bison responded with a couple kills but the Lasers lead grew from there. The visitors took the first set off a service error from the home team.

In the second, the set was tied at 12-12 when senior Scott Sterenberg (Oceanside, N.Y.) produced a four-point service run forcing the Bison to call a timeout at 16-12. The Lasers kept their advantage through the finish to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

Early on in the third set the Bison went on a nine-point run to take an 11-6 run. The Lasers were able to side-out after a Nichols error, but the home team scored three straight points right after to double the Lasers score at 14-7. This deficit proved too much for the Lasers to fight their way back. The Bison took set three, 25-23.

The Lasers trailed the entire fourth set and lost 25-20 which forced a deciding fifth set. The Bison were the first to the switch at 8-5 after a service ace from freshman Matthew Zawistowski (Clifton Park, N.Y.). Lasell managed to score seven of the next 11 points to trail 13-11. Two attacking errors from the Lasers would give the host a 15-12 victory in the fifth set.

The Lasers will square off with conference rivals Wentworth and Johnson & Wales (R.I.) this coming Saturday, February 22 in a tri-match in Boston, Mass.

-30-