WESTON, Mass. - #6 Saint Joseph's College (15-16,10-5) upset #3 Regis College (21-9,13-2), 3-1 (15-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-23), in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's volleyball tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
In the first set, the Monks stayed close behind Regis for most of the way. After trailing by as many as five points, Saint Joseph's made a push and pulled within one at 9-8 on a kill by Greta Mackintosh (Plymouth, Mass.). Although Regis extended their lead momentarily, the Monks showed their resilience and closed the gap with two straight points. However, the Pride finished the set strong to take a 25-18 win.
The second set saw Saint Joseph's take control with a dominant defensive effort at the net, totaling four blocks early on and establishing an 11-5 lead. Although Regis mounted a brief comeback to tie the set at 21-21, the Monks responded with poise. Kylie Giakoumis (Middletown, N.Y.) contributed two key kills to help Saint Joseph's take four of the last six points, securing a 25-23 set win to even the match at 1-1.
The Monks carried their momentum into the third set, overcoming an early 8-4 deficit. A key 8-3 run, highlighted by back-to-back kills from Victoria Briones (El Paso, Texas), gave Saint Joseph's a 12-11 lead. After Regis briefly regained the lead, the Monks finished strong with a dominant 13-3 run, capped by three blocks and a service ace by Tamya Johnson (Boston, Mass.), taking the set 25-15.
In the fourth set, the Monks jumped out to a 7-2 lead and never looked back. With a 9-3 run, they extended their advantage to 18-8. Regis mounted a late challenge, scoring six straight points, but Saint Joseph's answered with three quick points of their own from kills by Mackintosh, Comolli, and Maggie Sylvester (Barrington, N.H.). With the score tied at 23-23, Briones came through with a clutch kill to give the Monks match point, and they closed out the contest as Regis failed to execute its offense in the final moments.
Briones led the Monks with nine kills and 12 digs, while Mackintosh also added nine kills. Sylvester finished with eight kills, four digs, and five block assists, and Comolli contributed eight kills on a .353 hitting percentage, along with two service aces and four block assists. Regan Noonan (Standish, Maine) was a defensive force with six total blocks, and Sabrina Arcilla (Rivervale, N.J.) provided steady defense with 11 digs.
PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:
With the victory, Saint Joseph's College (15-16) advances to the GNAC semifinals, where they will face second-seeded Johnson & Wales in Providence, R.I., on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
LEADERS –REGIS:
- Kamdyn Tenorio belted 14 kills and recorded 15 digs
- Avery Mola added nine kills, three aces, three assists, and nine digs
- Ahnasia Mckinnery contributed six kills, four aces, two blocks, 19 assists, and six digs
- Alexandra Rivera added three aces
- Lauren Tuttle contributed three blocks
- Grace Fabiano recorded one block
NOTEWORTHY:
- Tonight's victory over the Pride is the Monks' first since the 2010 campaign and third win over the Pride in the history of matches dating back to 2007.
