Men’s Volleyball Rallies for 3-2 Road Victory

DUDLEY, Mass. – Regis College rallied from a 2-1 deficit, winning the fourth and fifth sets to defeat Nichols College, 3-2 (20-25, 27-25, 23-25, 25-20, 15-12), Wednesday night in a non-conference men's collegiate volleyball match at the Nichols Athletic Center.

Matt Ferrara (Sandown, N.H.) led the Pride offensively with 15 kills on a .314 hitting percentage, with the setting duties split between Brendan Lam (Rockville, Md.) with 23 assists and Tyrell Bucasas (Waialua, Hawaii) with 17 assists. Josh Nolen (Falls Church, Va.) finished with 12 kills and eight total blocks, with Robert Burch (Coxsackie, N.Y.) and Kostea Andreenko (Marstons Mills, Mass.) also earning eight block assists apiece as the Pride finished with 17 team blocks.

Down two sets to one, Regis took a 6-2 lead early in the fourth set thanks in part to two kills, an assist, and a block assist by Nolen. Nichols scored five straight points to close to within one at 9-8, but the Pride never relinquished the lead in the set. After a service ace by Collin Hunter brought the Bison back within one at 21-20, Regis rattled off four straight points to close the fourth set on consecutive kills by Ferrara, a service ace from Lam, and a block by Nolen and Ferrara.

Two kills by Ferrara and back-to-back blocks by Burch and Nolen allowed the Pride to open the fifth set with five straight points, but the Bison battled back to within two at 8-6 on a solo block by Hunter. Consecutive service aces by Nate Asstafan (Woonsocket, R.I.) and a block by Nolen and Brendan Carroll (Natick, Mass.) helped bring about match point for Regis at 14-9. Nichols extended the match with three unanswered points, but Regis finally closed out the contest with a kill from Ferrara.

Nichols (5-7) took the lead early in the match, pulling ahead 14-9 in the first set before a 7-2 scoring run by the Pride, capped by a solo block from Nolen, tied the set at 16-16. Nichols would score five of the next six points to retake the lead at 21-17, and then it would wrap up the opening set with three straight points on a kill by Jake Harasyko as well as a solo block and a kill from Tanner Soracco.

After the Bison scored the first three points of the second set, Regis battled back, eventually taking a 12-7 lead on two kills from Ferrara. Nichols went on a 7-2 scoring run to tie the set at 14-14, and the home team would eventually open a 24-20 advantage on a block by Soracco and Sean Jackson. However, the Pride used its defense to erase the deficit, as two blocks by Burch and Andreenko helped tie the set at 24-24, and then Regis scored the final three points, including a kill from Joseph Perez (Miami, Fla.) to win the second set and tie the match at 1-1.

Two kills by Andreenko assisted in the Pride establishing a 9-8 lead in the third set, but Nichols responded with a 7-1 scoring run, led by Ray Wang with two total blocks and a service ace. Kills by Carroll and Perez later in the set brought Regis into a 19-19 tie, followed by a split of the next eight points. The Bison would prevail in the third set thanks to a kill by Nick Vermette and a Regis attack error.

Soracco led all player with 22 kills as setter Nick Martin dished out 42 assists in the match. Wang contributed 10 kills and two service aces, and Nicholas Basco paced the Bison backline with a match-high 15 defensive digs.

Regis (6-7) is scheduled to play at Kean University Friday, Feb. 25, starting at 7 p.m.