Women’s Volleyball Falls at UMass Dartmouth

DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Regis College lost to UMass Dartmouth, 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 27-25), Tuesday night in a non-conference women's collegiate volleyball match at the Tripp Athletic Center.

Katryna Veasey (Quincy, Mass.) led the Pride offensively with nine kills, plus she earned 10 digs. Nia Pires (Cambridge, Mass.) finished with six kills, while Samantha Silveira (East Taunton, Mass.), making her first appearance of the season, contributed four kills and two total blocks. Defensively, Olivia Pacheco (Waterford, Conn.) led at the net with three total blocks, and Mica van der Meulen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) paced the backline with 15 digs.

After the two teams split the first six points of the match, UMass Dartmouth went on an 8-1 scoring run, but the Pride responded with four unanswered points to cut into their deficit. The Corsairs extended their lead to nine with a 7-1 scoring stretch before Regis closed to within one thanks to a 9-1 rally, capped by two kills from Kate Flemming (Woburn, Mass.). However, kills by Mallory Singer and Nicole Silverman helped the Corsairs clinch the first set.

A block by Pacheco and Silveira tied the second set at 7-7, but UMass Dartmouth scored the next six points, led by Singer with two kills and a block assist. Regis could not close the margin throughout the rest of the set, with a kill by Emma Spach giving the Corsairs the set and the 2-0 match lead.

UMass Dartmouth (1-5) established a 14-6 lead in the third set with six straight points and then maintained a healthy lead at 18-12 on a kill by Silverman. Once again, the Pride fought back, going on an 8-2 scoring run, punctuated by a block from Rita Dow (Nashua, N.H.) and Valerie Whalen (Stoughton, Mass.), to tie the set at 20-20.

The Corsairs won the next three points, and then a kill by Silverman brought about match point. The Pride stayed alive on kills by Whalen and Veasey, but UMass Dartmouth finally closed out the set and the match on a kill by Singer.

Silverman led the Corsairs with 11 kills, plus she collected eight digs, while Singer finished with eight kills and four total blocks. UMass Dartmouth's defense was strong, as Jillian Sykora led the team with 15 digs, just ahead of Vanessa Barreto with 14 digs.

Regis (3-6) returns home to face Plymouth State Thursday, Sept. 19, starting at 6 p.m. at Higgins Court. The Pride will then open Great Northeast Athletic Conference play Saturday, Sept. 21, by participating in a tri-match hosted by Simmons, first taking on Lasell at 12 p.m. before battling the Sharks at 2 p.m.