GOLD NOTCHES 1,000TH DIG IN PRIDE SETBACK

WESTON, Mass. – Bridgewater State University outlasted host Regis College, 3-1, in a four set battle by set scores of 25-22, 24-26, 25-21, 26-24. The Bears move back to .500 at 4-4 with the win, while Regis has dropped five straight and falls to 2-9. Junior Sara Gold (North Hollywood, Calif.) posted her 1,000th career dig in the fourth set of the match.

The Bears pounced out to an 8-2 lead, before the Pride clawed its way back into the game and took a 12-11 lead on a block by Julie Endara (Boca Raton, Fla.) and Vanessa Noesi (Puerto Plata, D.R.). Both teams traded points throughout the rest of the game and following a Bridgewater timeout with the score tied at 22, Michelle Atkins (Chelsea, Mass.) and Carolyn Morin (Marstons Mills, Mass.) posted a block to take a 23-22 lead. Morin followed with a service ace and the Bears won set one, 25-22, following a Pride miscue.

Set two was a back-and-forth battle as the teams were tied as late as 13-13. Another Morin service ace gave the Bears an 18-15 lead, but the Pride continued to be resilient and took a 20-19 lead following four straight errors by Bridgewater. A Julie Hutchins (Bellingham, Mass.) kill gave BSU a 22-20 lead, but a Noesi kill and a Bears error made it 22-all, prompting a Bridgewater timeout. Danielle Dean (Gilford, N.H.) posted a kill coming out of the timeout and Hutchins rejected a Samantha Bliss (Framingham, Mass.) attempt to give the Bears a short-lived 24-22 lead. Bliss responded with a kill of her own to make it a one point game, and the Bears committed three straight errors to give the Pride a 26-24 win in set two.

In the third set, a Julie Endara service ace gave Regis a 6-3 lead, but the Bears responded this time, and took a 10-9 lead on an attack error by the Pride. Soraia Pinto (Brockton, Mass.) sparked a quick 4-0 run for the Pride with a service ace, while Olivia Foley (Andover, Mass.) posted back-to-back blocks to give Regis a 13-9 lead. The back-and-forth game continued as both squads were tied at 18 following a Noesi kill. Bridgewater proceeded to go on a 7-3 run to end the set and took game three, 25-21.

With Bridgewater leading 4-3, after a short rally, Melanie Appleman (Hyannis, Mass.) tried to score a quick point with a dump attack, but Sara Gold was there to save the point, and entered the history books with her 1,000th career kill. Gold scored the next two points to give Regis a 5-4 lead, but it was short lived as the teams traded points and were tied multiple times through the final set at scores of 11-11, 14-14, 18-18, 19-19, 21-21, 22-22, and 24-24. An attack error by Gold gave Bridgewater a 25-24 lead, and Danielle Dean ended the game with a cross-court kill to seal the 26-24 win.

Regis was led by 12 kills from Vanessa Noesi, while Sara Gold added nine of her own. Julie Endara and Samantha Bliss recorded six kills apiece as well. Soraia Pinto handed out 26 assists and added 13 digs in the setback. Marilia Ramos (Chimbote, Peru) paced the Pride defense with a match-high 31 digs, while Gold added 26 of her own. Endara and Pinto combined to post 30 digs as well.

Danielle Dean led the Bears with 14 kills and 25 digs, while Carolyn Morin added 11 of her own in the win. Melanie Appleman, Sarah Mullarkey (Salem, Mass.), and Julie Hutchins added six kills apiece. Appleman handed out a match-high 35 assists. Kristen Robillard (Swansea, Mass.) added 22 digs, while Chelsea Correia (East Falmouth, Mass.) came off the bench to chip in 11 digs of her own.

Regis looks to snap a five game skid when the travel to Husson University for three matches on Saturday afternoon, starting at 10:30 a.m. with a match against Maine Farmington. Bridgewater looks to make it three-straight wins when they host UMass Dartmouth next Saturday at 6:00 p.m.