REGIS RALLIES BACK FROM 2-1 HOLE, EARNS FIRST NON-CONFERENCE WIN

WESTON, Mass. – The Regis College men's volleyball team earned their first non-conference win of the 2016 campaign when they defeated Emerson College 3-2 (21-25, 29-27, 21-25, 25-17, 16-14) in five sets on Tuesday evening. The victory moved the Pride to 5-9 on the year and the loss dropped the Lions to 5-8.

The comeback victory was the Crimson and Gold's first ever in the series against Emerson. The Lions took the last seven matchups since the squads began meeting in 2010. Regis hit a staggering .319 on the night and outplayed the visitors at the net with an 18-12 advantage in total blocks.

Junior outside hitter Sean Bisnett (Oxnard, Calif.) racked up a match-high 17 kills and the co-captain also had eight digs. Coming off his career-best performance against Newbury last week, sophomore utility Marcos Aguirre (Norwalk, Calif.) followed up his 17 kill performance with a 15 kill night and hit a sweltering .444. Brett Krahl (Santa Clarita, Calif.) hit well as he recorded 12 kills, four blocks and a .476 hitting percentage. Zach Sindoni (Haverhill, Mass.) handed out a personal-best 50 assists.

Emerson took the first set by a 25-21 margin and hit .200 compared to the Prides' .185 hitting percentage. The hosts kept it close with the Lions before the visitors pulled away late in the set with two kills by Stig Regan (Kailua, Hawaii), a dual block by Regan and freshman outside hitter Mark Piorkowski (Montclair, N.J.), a kill by Piorkowski. The guests won the set on a service error by Regis' DJ Lyons (Colorado Springs, Colo.).

The tables turned in the second set as the Pride hit .282 as a team and the Lions recorded a .136 hitting percentage. Both squads traded possessions midway through the set before Regis pulled away late with Drew Beimel (Redondo Beach, Calif.) earning the set clinching kill off a nifty pass from Sindoni.

In the third set Emerson used their best hitting set of the evening (.385) to take the game 25-21. The Lions jumped out to a 16-10 advantage with a kill by Mark Piorkowski. Regis would get to 21 points with blocks from Krahl, junior middle blocker Brandon Tordoff (Coventry, R.I.) and a kill from Bisnett, but a Nick Rusk (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) kill would end the Pride comeback as the visitors would take the set 25-21.

Regis saved their best hitting for the fourth set as the squad hit .448 as a team and used their height to block attempted kills at the net and hold Emerson to a .148 hitting percentage. The Pride held the lead for the majority of the set with Bisnett rifling service ace that stayed just inside the red line to give the Crimson and Gold a 25-17 win.

The Crimson and Gold trailed 8-7 at break in the fifth set before an attack error by Jackson Wiley (Los Angeles, Calif.) a double-block from Beimel and Tordoff and two Aguirre kills put the Pride in the drivers seat up 11-8. With Rusk serving, the Lions got within one point before the squads traded points. Regis wrapped up the game when Krahl and Sindoni elevated at the net, threw their hands up and blocked an attempted kill by Wiley which gave the Pride their first win ever against Emerson.

Drew Beimel added nine kills for the Pride with seven assists, nine digs and four blocks. Brandon Tordoff added eight kills, four digs, five blocks and a service ace. Leading the Lions was Mark Piorkowski who had 16 kills, 10 digs and three blocks. Nick Rusk and Jackson Wiley each added 15 kills apiece. Brendan McGonigle (Los Angeles, Calif.) added 47 assists and defensive specialist Jared Gross (Wexford, Pa.) had a match high 25 digs.

Regis returns to the court on Monday, March 7th when they travel to Endicott for a conference contest at 7:00 p.m. Emerson will face UC Santa Cruz on Friday at 5:00 p.m.