Pride Men’s Volleyball Sweeps Gators for First Win of 2023

WESTON, Mass. - After a slow start at the service line, Regis College started producing offensively on its way to a 3-0 victory (25-19, 25-13, 25-15) over Russell Sage College Wednesday night in a non-conference men's collegiate volleyball match at Higgins Court.

Joseph Perez (Miami, Fla.) led the Pride with 10 kills, while Francesco Buanne (Caserta, Italy) finished with six kills, a .455 hitting percentage, three service aces, and two block assists. Tyrell Bucasas (Waialua, Hawaii) dished out 13 assists and led the team with four digs, Marcello Cappuccio (Scotch Plains, N.J.) earned six assists from the libero position, and John Nangle (Lowell, Mass.) contributed five kills, two service aces, and three total blocks.

Regis allowed Sage to stay close in the first set thanks to six service errors within the Gators' first nine points, but the Pride took the lead for good thanks in part to a kill and a service ace from Robert Burch (Coxsackie, N.Y.). The Gators closed to within one point at 18-17 on a kill by Andrew Samson, but Regis put together a 7-2 scoring run to clinch the opening set, capped by kills from Nangle, Buanne, and Perez.

Two kills from Nangle early in the second set allowed the Pride to grab the early advantage, and Regis would later rattle off an 11-3 scoring run to extend its lead to 17-7. The teams basically traded points the rest of the set, with Buanne and Donovan Ross (Southbridge, Mass.) combining on a block to help the Pride close out the second set and take a 2-0 match lead.

Nangle collected two blocks early in the third set as Regis opened a 7-2 advantage, but kills from Elijah Tortorici and Alex Bergman helped the Gators stay within striking distance. The Pride put the set away thanks to a 9-3 scoring run, including service aces from Nangle and Sam Segura-Suarez (Berwick, Pa.), and Regis would later close out the set and the match on two Gator errors.

Tortorici led the Gators with seven kills, while Bergman finished with four kills and four digs. Ryan Jennings accumulated 14 assists, and Jack McWilliam paced the Sage defensive effort with seven digs.

Regis College (1-1) begins conference play in one week when it hosts Wentworth, currently ranked third in this week's NVA/AVCA Men's Division III Coaches Poll, next Wednesday, Jan. 25, starting at 7 p.m. Russell Sage College (0-1) hosts Colby-Sawyer and Wisconsin Lutheran in back-to-back matches this Friday, Jan. 20, beginning at 5 p.m.