Regis Falls to WPI in Five-Set Thriller

WESTON, Mass. - For the second straight match, Regis College came from behind to force a fifth set, but WPI took advantage of Pride miscues in the deciding set as the Engineers pulled out a 3-2 victory (17-25, 25-20, 25-13, 16-25, 15-7) Tuesday night in a non-conference women's collegiate volleyball match at Higgins Court.

Avery Mola (Cheshire, Conn.) led the Pride with 13 kills on a .300 hitting percentage, while Kamdyn Tenorio (Irvine, Calif.) notched her second double-double in as many matches with 10 kills and 15 digs. Ahnasia Mckinney (Chelmsford, Mass.) also earned a double-double with 36 assists and 10 digs, Grace Fabiano (Greenland, N.H.) contributed seven kills and four total blocks, and Emily Hart (Meriden, Conn.) paced the team with three service aces to go along with her third straight 19-dig performance.

Down two sets to one, Regis put together a 6-2 scoring run to open a 12-8 advantage in the fourth set. WPI stayed close, pulling to within three points at 16-13 on a kill by Catherine Reynolds, but the Pride closed out the set with a 9-3 scoring run, capped by a kill and a service ace from Mola as well as a kill from Toni Ondris (Mineola, N.Y.) to force the deciding fifth set.

The Pride scored four of the first five points of the final set, but the Engineers quickly responded with six straight points, starting with a kill by Audrey Stroupe and a service ace from Victoria Escuer. After Regis scored, WPI rattled off six unanswered points again, including two more kills from Stroupe. Emily Hudson notched a kill to create a match point opportunity, which the visitors converted thanks to a Regis attack error.

Hudson led the Engineers with 15 kills, with Reynolds notching a triple-double thanks to 12 kills, 23 assists, and 17 digs. Olivia Deckers posted a double-double with 14 kills and 11 digs, Lily Eldridge finished with 24 assists and three service aces, and Escuer led all players with 24 defensive digs, plus she contributed nine assists.

In the opening set, Mola collected three kills and a service ace as the Pride opened an 8-3 lead, but the Engineers battled back, closing to within two points at 12-10 on a kill by Deckers. Regis would eventually pull away with the first set, closing it out on a kill by Fabiano.

After a service ace by Tenorio gave Regis an 11-9 lead in the second set, WPI went on a 10-3 scoring run to take control of the set, 19-14. Kills by Deckers and Reynolds brought about set point, and Jia Yazon would find open court on the other side of the net to clinch the second set for the Engineers and tie the match. WPI scored the first four points of the third set and cruised the rest of the way to take its 2-1 match lead.

Regis College (2-2) hosts Plymouth State Thursday, Sept. 7, starting at 7 p.m. at Higgins Court. WPI (2-2) heads to Brandeis Saturday, Sept. 9, for a tri-match, facing the host Judges at 12 p.m. and Williams at 2 p.m.