Lasers Snap Volleyball’s Win Streak in Sweep

BOSTON – The Suffolk volleyball team saw its three-match GNAC win streak come to a screeching half Wednesday night as the Lasell Lasers swept the Rams inside Regan Gymnasium. The straight set league victory came by set scores, 27-25, 25-23 and 25-18. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 0, Lasell 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (8-7, 3-3 GNAC) | Lasell (7-14, 1-2 GNAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk led for the majority of the first frame, but a late push by Lasell put the visitors ahead one. A back-and-forth battle was present throughout the second stanza, but the Lasers hung on for a 25-23, set win to gain a 2-0 edge in the match. It was all Lasers light blue in the final frame as the visitors locked up the sweep with a 25-18 third set victory.

SET ONE RECAP (27-25, LASELL)

• Suffolk broke a 4-all time with three consecutive points capped off by an ace by Jessica Rexrode to take a 7-4 edge.
• The Rams built an 15-11 advantage at the midway point as Rexrode combined with Bridget Allison for a block.
• Lasell took a timeout to talk things over as the blue-and-gold's lead pushed to 17-13.
• Out of the break, Suffolk kept the Lasers at bay and went ahead by six, 21-15.
• Four unanswered points by the visitors made things interesting and cut Suffolk's cushion to two, 21-19.
• Suffolk had set point locked up thanks to a Hannah Fabiano kill, but back-to-back scores from the Lasers even the playing field at 24-24.
• The team's traded points before Lasell used an attack error by Allison and a kill by Michele Canestro to take the frame, 27-25.

SET TWO RECAP (25-23, LASELL)

• Suffolk had to play catch up, trailing 6-3.
• An ace by Emma Feeney put the Rams within one, 7-6.
• The Lasers kept the Rams at a distance and Suffolk called timeout down 17-12.
• The blue-and-gold chipped away at the deficit and an Allison kill made it a two-point contest, 20-18.
•  Lasell kept the two-point distance and secured the set, 25-23, on a kill by Olivia Addington. 

SET THREE RECAP (25-18, LASELL)

• It was all Lasell in the opening of the third as the visitors jumped ahead 20-9.
• Suffolk built a comeback rattling off four quick points to climb within six, 24-18.
• The run was too late, however, as the Lasers put the set and frame away on Mickayla Shelburn's kill.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Kayla Barbera's nine kill attack on a .429 connection rate paced Suffolk's offense with the freshman adding three digs to the defensive side of play.
• Classmate Fabiano notched eight kills to go along with six digs and one block.
• Allison and Talia Lombardo pitched in six kills apiece. Defensively, Lombardo racked up six blocks, while Lombardo notched a team-high 12 digs.
• Rexrode added 11 digs.
• Kerek contributed 27 assists, 10 digs and three blocks. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Liz Kerek dished out her 1,000th assist tonight joining an elite group of Rams. The senior is just the third player to record 1,000 assists through her career and first since Julie Sullivan accomplished the feat in 2010.
• Kerek is now third all-time in career assists with 1,020 to her credit.
• Kerek produced her third double-double of the season, second straight, and ninth of her career.

POST-MATCH PIC
 

UP NEXT
Suffolk's homestand continues this weekend as the Rams welcome Mount Ida and Framingham State for a tri-match Saturday, Oct. 7. Action gets underway at 10 a.m. with the blue-and-gold taking on the Mustangs. Suffolk closes the action at 2 p.m. against the Framingham State Rams.