Pride Sweeps Bears in Hard-Fought Contest

WESTON, Mass. – All three sets were close, but Regis College was able to win the key points in each set for a 3-0 victory (25-19, 25-21, 25-20) over Bridgewater State University Tuesday evening in a non-conference women's collegiate volleyball match at Higgins Court.

Katryna Veasey (Quincy, Mass.) led the offense with 11 kills and two service aces along with six digs, while Lauren Butt (Topsfield, Mass.) was a force at the net, earning 10 kills on 13 attempts with just one attack error for a .692 hitting percentage along with five total blocks, including the 100^th block of her collegiate career. Julia Pelland (Brockton, Mass.) also had five total blocks as the Pride totaled a season-high 10 team blocks during the match.

Regis took the early lead in the opening set, extending it to four at 8-4 on a block by Pelland and Kate Flemming (Woburn, Mass.). Bridgewater State closed to within three at 18-15 on a kill by Erin Clifford, but the Bears would not get any closer, as the Pride won the final two points of the first set on a kill by Samantha Turner (Concord, N.H.) and a Bear error.

Bridgewater State (1-5) took a 3-2 lead in the second set on kills by Kayla Baril and Grace Stafford as well as a service ace from Cassidy Tyros, but the Pride scored three unanswered points on kills by Veasey and Rachel Bartels (Edinburg, Texas) as well as a block by Butt and Bartels. Down 8-5, the Bears scored four straight points, capped by a block by Clifford and Rebecca Whalen, to retake the lead at 9-8.

The second set went back and forth, with another ace from Tyros tying the set at 19-19. After a Regis service error created another tie at 20-20, the Pride won five of the final six points of the set, with a kill by Bartels clinching the set and giving Regis a 2-0 match lead.

The Bears scored three straight points early in the third set, including a block by Abigail Gardner and Octavia Collins, to open a 7-4 advantage, but Regis responded with six unanswered points, featuring consecutive blocks by Butt and Bartels, to pull ahead 11-8. A kill by Clifford brought the Bears within one at 14-13, but the Pride scored five straight points, led by a kill and a service ace by Veasey, to extend their lead to 19-13.

Bridgewater State did not give up, putting together a 5-1 scoring run, led by a block and a kill by Collins, to close to within three at 23-20. Regis settled down and closed out the match by forcing an attack error and then receiving another kill from Bartels, who finished with six kills, a .357 hitting percentage, and four total blocks.

Baril and Clifford led the Bears with six kills apiece, with Baril also leading the defense with 11 digs. Picabo Miskiv earned 17 assists, Casey Holmes contributed seven assists and nine digs, and Tyros ended up with two service aces and nine digs of her own.

Regis (6-4) concludes its five-match homestand Thursday, Sept. 20, against Lesley starting at 6 p.m. Bridgewater State returns to conference play, hosting Westfield State Saturday, Sept. 22, at 12 p.m.