Volleyball Sweeps Regis, 3-0

WESTON, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University women's volleyball team posted a 3-0 decision over Regis College in non-conference action on Tuesday night in Weston, Mass.

The Bears (3-9) used set scores of 25-17, 25-23, and 25-7 in the win over the Pride (7-7).

Game one started out as a back-and-forth battle as the two teams were tied as late as 7-7 following a BSU error. A pair of Regis errors sandwiched around a Clara Goncalves (Dennis, Mass.) kill and a Sydney Bennett (North Attleboro, Mass.) service ace gave the Bears an 11-7 lead. The Pride fought their way back into the match, and two Jackie Silver (West Hills, Calif.) service aces gave the Pride a 13-11 lead.

Bridgewater State answered with a 10-1 run capped off by a Julie Hutchins (Bellingham, Mass.) and Elizabeth Roberts (Swansea, Mass.) block to put the visitors on top, 21-14. Regis would get as close as 21-16, but the Bears scored four of the final five points in the game to grab a 1-0 lead in the match with the 25-17 win.

The Bears carried the momentum into game two as a Roberts service ace followed by another Pride error gave BSU an 8-3 lead. The Pride would trail by as many as nine as a Bennett kill put Bridgewater State on top 19-10. Facing their largest deficit of the match, Nicole Connolly (San Mateo, Calif.) nailed a kill of her own that would spark an 11-3 run and force Bridgewater State to call a timeout with their lead trimmed down to 22-21.

Out of the break, Rachel Bartels (Edinburg, Texas) blocked a Goncalves attempt to tie the game and she followed that up with a kill to put the Pride on top 23-22. However, the Bears received kills from Roberts and Hannah Maymon (Narragansett, R.I.), and used a Regis error, to score the final three points and win the second game, 25-23.

The third set was all Bridgewater State as the Pride would only get as close as 7-4 before dropping the final game, 25-7. Goncalves posted four kills in the set, while the Bears used six service aces to gain the three set sweep.

Goncalves led the Bears with seven kills and a pair of blocks. Maymon added six kills and a match-high 13 digs, while Charleyne Panner (Gilford, N.H.) and Sydney Bennett registered five kills apiece. Panner added a game-high 22 assists and 10 digs, while Bennett led the Bears with five aces. Samantha Fasoli (Sagamore Beach, Mass.) and Alyssa Kelley (Mansfield, Mass.) combined for 22 digs on the night.

Regis was led by seven kills, nine digs, and a pair of blocks from Connolly. Graciella Molinari (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) and Rachel Bartels added three kills apiece. Haley Schulte (Fullerton, Calif.) led the team with 13 assists and added seven digs.

The Crimson and Gold return to action on Thursday night when they host Johnson & Wales University in a 7:00 p.m. match. Bridgewater State hosts Curry College on Thursday as well in a 6:00 p.m. non-league matchup.