Volleyball Falls to Regis in Four Sets

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College women's volleyball team dropped a 3-1 final to NECC newcomer Regis College on Saturday afternoon at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Regis (6-13 overall, 2-1 NECC) took the first two sets and rallied back to seal the victory in the fourth. The Pride won by set scores of 25-19, 25-20, 17-25 and 25-22. Domingas Gomes and Angelica Endara each finished with double-digit kill totals with 12 and 11, respectively, while Megan Pratt handed out a match-high 27 assists.

Freshmen Alivia Royal and Emily Stracuzzi paced the Mariners (5-4 overall, 0-2 NECC) with 10 kills apiece. Sophomore Nicole Terni recorded 21 assists while junior Arianna Thomas chipped in with a match-high 21 digs.

The two teams traded blows in a closely contested first set that featured seven ties and four lead changes. With the score tied at 17-17, a kill by Domingas gave the Pride the lead and the ball, and Sara Gold capitalized by serving for four straight points to give Regis its biggest lead at 22-14. The Pride finished off the set with a service ace by Gomes to take the early lead.

Gold's team trailed 5-2 early in the second set when she stepped up to the service stripe once again. This time she served for five straight points and gave the Pride a lead they would never relinquish. Regis then stretched the lead by winning eight of the next 10 points, prompting Mitchell to take a timeout to regroup with the score at 15-7. Endara contributed a pair of kills during the run, and the Pride rode the momentum to a five-point win to go up 2-0 in the match.

Mitchell responded with a strong third set to extend the contest. A kill by Royal and four straight service points from senior Brittany Zaccaria—including a pair of aces—gave the Mariners a 5-0 lead out of the gate. Mitchell never trailed in the set and finished with 14 kills in the stanza.

The fourth set was once again close in the early stages, though the Mariners eventually pulled ahead and took their largest lead at 14-9. Mitchell later led 17-13 when Regis turned things around, snatching the lead away behind seven straight points. Gomes was the catalyst, serving for six points and contributing three aces during the stretch. The Pride took the 20-17 lead and held off the Mariners down the stretch to capture the match.

Both Gomes and Gold finished with four aces apiece. Gomes also added a team-high 20 digs while Gold chipped in with 19. Anneliese Harrison was also a presence around the net, finishing with eight kills and three block assists.

Mitchell will next play at Bay Path College on Tuesday, October 11 at 7 p.m.