Five-Set Thriller Upsets Raiders and Sends Pride to GNAC Semifinals

NASHUA, N.H. — Just three days after wrapping up the regular season at the Muldoon Center, the fifth-seeded Regis College women's volleyball team returned to Rivier University to face the fourth-seeded Raiders in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Quarterfinals. After falling behind 2–1 in the match, the Pride rallied to force a decisive fifth set, where they completed the comeback to earn a thrilling 3–2 victory and advance to the GNAC Semifinals against top-seeded Emmanuel College.

Eva Catalanotto (Cheshire, Conn.) and Grace Fabiano (Greenland, N.H.) led the Pride offense with 15 kills apiece, each adding 2.5 total blocks in the win. Avery Mola (Cheshire, Conn.) delivered an all-around performance, contributing 12 kills, five aces, and 16 digs, while Alexandra Rivera orchestrated the attack with a match-high 44 assists along with 10 digs for the double-double.

For Rivier, Ali Rivera posted a match-high 16 kills and 11 digs, while Lily Seibel handed out 35 assists and Kaitlyn Miller anchored the defense with 19 digs in the effort.

How it Happened

Fueled by three early kills from Mola and capped by a Gwen Arnold (West Hartford, Conn.) ace, the Pride raced out to an 11-2 lead to open the match. Moments later, Regis strung together five unanswered points to secure its first double-digit advantage at 16-4. The Raiders capitalized on a pair of Pride errors to trim the deficit to 18-9, but Regis quickly regained control as Fabiano and Beatriz Paulo (Newton, Mass.) combined for five kills down the stretch, closing out the set convincingly, 25-11.

The second set featured a back-and-forth battle early on before four unanswered points gave the Pride a 15-11 advantage. However, the Raiders responded with a surge of their own, scoring seven straight to take an 18–15 lead. The visitors extended their advantage to as many as four before a Paulo kill ignited a 7-1 Regis run, pushing the Pride to set point at 24-22.

An untimely error, though, halted the momentum and allowed the Raiders to rally, briefly taking the lead before Rivera connected with Paulo to tie the set at 25. The two teams traded points in a tense finish, remaining even at 26, 27, and 28, until the Raiders managed back-to-back points to edge out the set, 30-28.

A block by Catalanotto and Paulo capped five unanswered points to give the Pride a 7-3 lead early in the third set. The Raiders answered with a strong run to move ahead 12-9 and later stretched their lead to 16-11. Regis battled back within two at 18-16 after a Mola kill, but the Raiders closed the set on a 9-3 run to win 25-19 and take a 2-1 match lead.

Set four featured five ties and three lead changes before the Raiders pulled ahead 14-12. The Pride quickly responded with a 6-2 run to take a two-point lead, prompting a Rivier timeout. Regis kept the momentum going as a Catalanotto–Fabiano block followed by a Mola kill extended the advantage to 23-19 and forced the Raiders to use their final timeout. Two Catalanotto kills off assists from Rivera sealed the set, 25–21, sending the match to a decisive fifth.

The Pride capitalized on a Paulo ace and four Raider errors to jump ahead 5-3 early in the decisive fifth set. The Raiders pulled even at five, but Regis maintained a narrow edge to lead 8-7 at the side switch. Rivier tied the score again at eight and nine before taking a brief lead, but the Pride answered, pulling even at 10 and 11. A Fabiano kill put Regis back in front 12–11, and after the Raiders tied it once more, the Pride closed out the match with three straight points - capped by a Paulo ace to the left side - to seal the set and solidify their spot in the GNAC semifinals. 

Inside the Numbers

• Alexandra Rivera recorded her sixth outing with 40 or more assists in tonight's victory. 
• With 20.5 points in tonight's match, Eva Catalanotto posted a new season high, turning in one of her most impactful performances of the season.
• Five members of the Pride registered 12 or more digs on the defensive end. 
• The Pride are back in the semifinals for the frist time since the 2023 season. 

Up Next

The Pride advance to the semifinals, where they will face top-seeded neighboring Emmanuel College on Thursday, November 13, with match time to be announced.