WESTON, Mass. – The Regis College women's volleyball team celebrated Regis Fest in style on Saturday, earning a pair of GNAC victories with a 3-1 win over the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) and a 3-0 sweep of Norwich University. The Pride improved to 8-7 overall and remained unbeaten in conference play at 4-0.

Regis vs. USJ

The Pride set the tone early with 5-0 and 6-0 runs, powered by four service aces and three kills from Avery Mola (Cheshire, Conn.), to build a 13-6 advantage in the opening set. The Blue Jays answered with four straight points to cut into the lead at 21-15, but a Saint Joseph error followed by an Eva Catalanotto (Cheshire, Conn.) kill halted the momentum and sent Regis to a 25-18 set-one win.

In set two, Beatriz Paulo (Newton, Mass.) sparked the Pride with three service aces to give Regis a quick 7-2 cushion. The Pride held the advantage for much of the frame, though Saint Joseph battled back within two at 20-18. Kate Julian (Mendon, Mass.) responded in the clutch with a kill and back-to-back aces, closing out a 25-19 victory to push the lead to 2-0.

The Blue Jays refused to go quietly in set three, overcoming a four-point deficit with a 9-3 run to take a 14-11 lead. Later, a stretch of five unanswered points proved decisive as they claimed the 25-20 win to stay alive.

Regis regrouped in the fourth, using a Catalanotto kill to spark an 11-3 advantage. Saint Joseph chipped away late, narrowing the deficit to 23-21 after a four-point surge, but Mola slammed the door with a kill and an ace to seal the 3-1 match victory.

Regis vs. Norwich

The Pride carried their momentum into the second match of the day, racing out to a 9-2 lead behind a pair of service aces and kills from Beatriz Paulo (Newton, Mass.) before her fellow first-year, Catalnotto added three kills during a 5-0 run that extended the advantage to double digits at 14-4, and a late 6-0 surge closed out a dominant 25-9 set-one victory.

In the second frame, Albers continued to shine with three kills, followed by an ace from Elle Borgan (Beaufort, S.C.) to push the Pride ahead 12-7 and force a Norwich timeout. After the Cadets earned a point, Regis answered with a 7-1 run to stretch the margin to 19-9, cruising the rest of the way to a 25-13 win and a 2-0 lead.

The Pride left no doubt in the third, as four more aces from Albers fueled a 10-0 run to build a commanding 19-5 advantage. Norwich never recovered, and Regis finished off the sweep with a 25-8 victory to close out the tri-match.

Inside the Numbers

• Avery Mola and Beatriz Paulo each recorded a career-high five service aces in the opening match.
• Alexandra Rivera set the tone for the Pride, turning in an all-around effort against the Blue Jays with 34 assists, nine digs, and three blocks. She followed that up with another strong outing in the sweep of Norwich, handing out 31 assists to guide the offense.
• Ayla Albers paced the Pride in the sweep of Norwich, finishing with a team-high 10 kills, a career-best six service aces, and six digs.
• Elle Borgan turned in her best performance in the Crimson and Gold against Norwich, contributing five kills, five digs, and two service aces.

Up Next

After a six-match homestand, the Pride return to the road on Wednesday, October 1, traveling to Chicopee, Mass., to face Elms College at 7 p.m.