Pride Split Tri-Match at Keene State

KEENE, N.H. — After a five-set battle last night, the Pride returned to action this afternoon for a tri-match at Keene State University, facing the University of Southern Maine (USM) and the host Owls. Regis opened the day with a 3-1 victory over the Huskies before falling in another hard-fought five-set showdown against Keene State, moving to 13-10 on the season.

Regis vs. USM

The Pride opened the match strong, using three separate 5-0 runs in the first set to cruise to a dominant 25-9 victory.

In set two, the Huskies jumped out to an early 5-2 lead, but Grace Fabiano (Greenland, N.H.) delivered a pair of kills, capped by an Ayla Albers (San Diego, Calif.) point to knot the score at 6-6. The Pride were unable to maintain momentum, however, as the Huskies went on a seven-point unanswered run to take the set 25-14, leveling the match at one set apiece.

The third set featured back-and-forth action early until five unanswered points, aided by Huskies' errors, put the Pride ahead 20-15. A pair of blocks, with Bella Karpicz (Berkley, Mass.) contributing to both, helped the Pride finish the set on another five-point run, with a Fabiano kill sealing the 25-16 victory.

In the fourth set, after falling behind early, Eva Catalanotto (Cheshire, Conn.) and Avery Mola (Cheshire, Conn.) combined for key kills to tie the game at 7-7. Catalanotto later helped the Pride pull ahead with a kill and two aces in a pivotal stretch to take a 12-9 lead. A later 5-0 run, capped by another Catalanotto kill, sealed the 25-17 set win and gave the Pride the match, 3-1.

Regis vs. Keene St.

The Pride tied the score at 3-3 and again at 6-6 early in the set, but a 6-1 run by the Owls pushed them ahead 21-13 and carried them to a 25-15 opening set victory.

After falling behind 11-1 in set two, the Pride turned things around with a 17-6 run fueled by first-years Beatriz Paulo (Newton, Mass.) and Eva Catalanotto, each contributing two kills during the stretch to take an 18-17 lead. They extended their advantage to as many as three points following a Paulo kill and an Owl error. Although an Owl kill briefly halted their momentum, the Pride held strong, and a final Catalanotto kill, combined with another Owl error, sealed a 25-20 set-two victory.

Regis opened the third set with six unanswered points before the Owls responded with a five-point run of their own to take a 9-7 lead. The Pride battled back to even the score at 11, 13, and 14, then strung together four straight points to reclaim an 18-16 advantage and force an Owl timeout. The regroup didn't slow the Pride, as they came out of the break with three more unanswered points, closing out the set with a 25-20 victory.

Early in the fourth set, the Owls jumped ahead 9-6, but the Pride answered as a Catalanotto kill sparked a 4-0 run to give them a 10-9 lead. Later, a pair of blocks from Karpicz and Fabiano fueled a dominant 7-0 stretch that extended the Pride's advantage to 17-11. However, the Owls refused to go away, storming back with a 10-1 run to reclaim a 21-18 lead and force a Regis timeout. The Pride managed just one more point out of the break, as the Owls closed out the set 25-19 to force a decisive fifth.

A Catalanotto kill gave the Pride their first lead of the fifth set at 3-2, but the Owls quickly responded and went ahead by as many as three before a Karpicz kill halted their momentum at 8-6. The Pride continued to battle, stringing together four unanswered points to take a 10-9 advantage and force an Owl timeout. Fabiano and Catalanotto followed with back-to-back kills to extend the lead to 12-9, but the Owls rallied late with a 6-1 run to claim the set 15-13 and secure the 3-2 match victory.

Inside the Numbers

• The Pride turned in their most efficient set of the afternoon in the fourth, hitting .519 with 16 kills in their match against the Huskies.
• With 37 assists in game one, Alexandra Rivera (Bristol, Conn.) surpassed her first-year total of 566 assists. After both matches, she has raised her season total to 623. 
• Bella Karpicz six blocks against the Huskies is a season-high for the sophomore. 
• Avery Mola recorded a seaon-high 21 digs against Keene State. 
• Beatriz Paulo had an all-around game against the Owls, finishing with 12 kills, 14 digs, and two aces. 

Up Next

The Pride return to Higgins Court on Wednesday, October 22, for a 7 p.m. matchup against Saint Joseph's College of Maine. The contest will also serve as the team's Breast Cancer Awareness Game, featuring gear for sale with proceeds benefiting the Ellie Fund, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that provides essential support services for breast cancer patients and their families.