Pride Men’s Volleyball Earns First GNAC Win of 2023

BOSTON - In a back-and-forth contest, Regis College defeated Emerson College, 3-2 (27-25, 20-25, 25-22, 14-25, 15-13), in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's volleyball match at Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym.

Joseph Perez (Miami, Fla.) led the Pride with a career-high 16 kills, plus he collected eight digs, while Logan Sras (Lowell, Mass.) finished with 10 kills and three total blocks. Tyrell Bucasas (Waialua, Hawaii) finished with career-high totals across the board, collecting 44 assists, nine digs, and five kills on seven attack attempts for a .714 hitting percentage. Defensively, Marcello Cappuccio (Scotch Plains, N.J.) also enjoyed a career night with 27 digs.

In the deciding fifth set, Regis pulled out to a 7-4 lead thanks in part to two kills by Robert Burch (Coxsackie, N.Y.). Kills by Luke Roehm, Neiko Pittman, and Chase Fagen helped Emerson pull into an 8-8 tie, but the Pride took the lead on a kill by Sras and a block by Perez and John Nangle (Lowell, Mass.). Another kill from Roehm tied the set at 13-13, but Regis would pull out the victory on a kill by Burch.

Emerson (0-3, 0-1 GNAC) took control of the opening set at the midway point, going on a 7-1 scoring run to open a 19-13 advantage. Regis battled back to within one point thanks to a 7-2 scoring stretch, but a service ace from Bryson Beck helped the Lions reach set point at 24-20. The Pride rattled off a 7-1 scoring run to close out the first set, led by two kills from Sras as well as a kill and a service ace from Nangle.

The second set was close until the very end, with the Lions closing it out on a 6-1 scoring run, led by two kills from Pittman. Regis scored the first four points of the third set and maintained that advantage the rest of the way, clinching the third set on an Emerson attack error.

The Lions went on an 11-3 scoring run early in the fourth set, but the Pride responded with their own 7-1 scoring stretch, led by four kills from Perez, to close to within two points at 14-12. Emerson rattled off an 11-2 scoring run to finish off the fourth set, punctuated by consecutive kills from Roehm. It would be the third time within the last four meetings between the two schools that a match has gone the distance, with Regis winning all three contests.

Pittman notched a double-double with 28 kills and 15 digs, while Roehm finished with 15 kills, four service aces, and seven digs. Beck also earned a double-double with 22 assists and 23 digs, and Bayden Slavik contributed 25 assists for the Lions.

Regis College (2-5, 1-2 GNAC) returns to action Saturday, Feb. 11, for a tri-match hosted by Russell Sage College. The Pride will face Bard at 2 p.m. and the host Gators at 4 p.m.