Women’s Volleyball Battles NEC in Five-Set Thriller

HENNIKER, N.H. – For the third consecutive meeting between Regis College and New England College, all five sets were necessary, but the Pilgrims prevailed over the Pride, 3-2 (21-25, 25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 15-11), Tuesday night in a non-conference women's collegiate volleyball match at Bridges Gym.

Ahnasia Mckinney (Chelmsford, Mass.) led the Pride offensively with 11 kills, while Rita Dow (Nashua, N.H.) collected 10 kills without an attack error for a .385 hitting percentage. Valerie Whalen (Stoughton, Mass.) and Kamdyn Tenorio (Irvine, Calif.) each contributed eight kills, with Tenorio also finishing with a match-high 20 digs, and Karly Sanborn (Gilmanton, N.H.) notched a double-double with 37 assists and 12 digs, career highs in both categories.

In the opening set, Jordan Sterenberg (Oceanside, N.Y.) notched back-to-back blocks to give the Pride an 8-5 advantage, and Regis would maintain the lead throughout the rest of the set. New England College closed to within three at 24-21, but committed a service error to give Regis the first set.

New England College (3-2) put together an 8-2 scoring run, capped by a block from Shirita Wimberly and Tatiana Sampson, to open a 12-8 lead in the second set. Regis came back, eventually taking the lead on kills by Kai Berning (Corvallis, Ore.) and Whalen, but the Pilgrims scored the final three points of the set, led by a kill and a solo block from Amber Thi.

The Pilgrims maintained the momentum, opening the third set on a 12-3 scoring run, but the Pride once again battled back, using consecutive kills by Dow to complete an 8-3 scoring stretch to pull within one at 20-19. New England College would hold off the Regis rally, clinching the set on a kill by Nyah Piper to take a 2-1 match lead.

The Pride took early control of the fourth set by scoring nine of the first 11 points, but the Pilgrims quickly bounced back with a 13-4 scoring run of their own to take the lead, 19-16. Regis responded with a 7-2 scoring run, and then Mckinney notched a kill to close out the fourth set and force a deciding fifth set.

The fifth set was a series of runs, starting with a 7-2 stretch from New England College before Regis answered with six straight points. The Pilgrims rattled off five straight points, eventually winning the set and the match on a Regis service error.

Thi led New England College with 14 kills, five service aces, and 18 digs, while Sampson finished with 13 kills and a .524 hitting percentage. As a team, the Pilgrims earned more kills (52-44), more service aces (13-4), and more digs (75-70) than the Pride, with each team finishing with six team blocks.

Regis (0-2) heads to Quincy, Mass., this weekend for the Eastern Nazarene Invitational, first facing the host Lions Friday, Sept. 10, at 4:30 p.m. The Pride will play a non-conference match against Colby-Sawyer Saturday, Sept. 11, starting at 12 p.m., followed by a contest against Husson at 2 p.m.