Pride Volleyball Remains Undefeated in GNAC Play

WESTON, Mass. – In a battle that featured numerous long rallies throughout the night, Regis College rebounded from dropping the opening set to defeat Norwich University, 3-1 (24-26, 25-22, 27-25, 25-17), Tuesday night in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference women's volleyball match at Higgins Court.

For the third consecutive match, Valerie Whalen (Stoughton, Mass.) did not make an attack error, leading the Pride with 12 kills, a .324 hitting percentage, and four total blocks. Ahnasia Mckinney (Chelmsford, Mass.) collected 10 kills and three block assists, Karly Sanborn (Gilmanton, N.H.) notched a double-double with 42 assists and 13 digs, and Kate Flemming (Woburn, Mass.) earned a team-high five service aces. Defensively, Mica van der Meulen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) led the way with 26 digs, with Kamdyn Tenorio (Irvine, Calif.) adding 24 digs to go along with eight kills.

In the first set, Regis took an early three-point lead on consecutive kills by Kai Berning (Corvallis, Ore.) and a block by Berning and Rita Dow (Nashua, N.H.). Norwich responded with a 9-2 scoring run to pull ahead, 17-13, but the Pride came right back to take a one-point lead at 22-21 on another kill by Berning. Down set point, the Cadets turned things around with kills by Julia Schroeder and Maggie McNeil, and then they would clinch the first set on a Regis error.

Regis took the early lead in the second set and maintained it, extending its advantage to as much as five points at 18-13 on an ace by Flemming. Norwich scored seven of the next eight points, led by McNeil with three kills and Sarah Farnum with a service ace, to pull ahead, 22-21, but the Pride responded with four unanswered points to close out the set, including a kill by Whalen as well as a block by Whalen and Mckinney.

An early 6-1 run for Norwich put the Cadets ahead in the third set, 11-7, but consecutive service aces from Sanborn capped a 5-0 Pride run. Later in the set, three kills apiece by Berning and Mckinney gave Regis a 22-20 lead, but the Cadets again answered right back, as Ana Lopez notched two kills to give her team two chances to close out the third set. Kills by Tenorio and Dow extended the set, and Regis finally clinched it on a block by Sanborn and Dow.

The early part of the fourth set went back and forth, but the Pride took control thanks to an 11-2 scoring run midway through the set, led by Whalen with three kills and a block assist. Later in the set, Flemming earned two service aces and a kill as Regis reached match point, but Norwich fought back with four straight points before Mckinney finally closed out the contest with her 10^th kill of the night.

Four different Norwich players notched double-doubles, led by McNeil with 11 kills and 18 digs and Schroeder with 11 kills and 13 digs. Kathryn Farnum earned 10 kills and 15 digs, and Cadet setter Sarah Farnum accumulated 39 assists and 13 digs. Laura Farnum led the Norwich backline with 26 defensive digs.

Regis College (9-3, 3-0 GNAC) hosts Fisher College Thursday, Sept. 30, starting at 6 p.m. before traveling to New Haven, Conn., for a GNAC tri-match against Albertus Magnus and Rivier Saturday, Oct. 2. Norwich (5-4, 0-2 GNAC) travels to Boston to take on conference foe Simmons Friday, Oct. 1, with a 6:30 p.m. start.