MVB: Lasell drops pair at top-ranked Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Lasell University men's volleyball team wrapped up its abbreviated spring season Sunday afternoon with a pair of 3-0 losses to Springfield College at Blake Arena. Springfield won the opener, 25-20, 25-18, 25-22 before cruising to a 25-11, 25-23, 25-14 victory in the nightcap.

The Lasers wind up the campaign with a 4-6 overall record, while Springfield improves to 5-1. The Pride are ranked #1 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III national poll.

Match 1 – Springfield 3, Lasell 0

Sophomore Brenden Joyce (Randolph, Mass.) was the top hitter for Lasell with eight kills, while freshman Ryan Fuller (Wayland, Mass.) smashed six winners and grad student Scott Sterenberg (Oceanside, N.Y.) added five. Senior Aaron Waitekus (Norwood, Mass.) had a team-high four blocks and senior Cobi Moore (Danville, N.H.) contributed 11 digs.

The visiting Lasers whistled for a timeout trailing 15-11 in the first.  After back-to-back aces by sophomore Riley Grenier (Wethersfield, Conn.) pulled Lasell within 19-18, Springfield closed out the frame on a 6-2 surge for the 25-20 win.

After kills by Fuller and Waitekus tied the score at 10-10 and 11-11 and a Springfield error knotted the score at 13-all, Springfield scored four-straight points, as an ace forced Lasell into a timeout trailing 17-13. The Pride pulled away to a 21-14 lead and went on to take the set, 25-18.

The third set featured 12 ties and five lead changes, the last coming at 20-all.  However, a kill and an ace gave the Pride a two-point cushion as Lasell called for a timeout.  Springfield would earn match point with a hard-angled kill and would then follow with a kill two points later to complete the sweep at 25-22.

Match 2 – Springfield 3, Lasell 0

Springfield founds its rhythm in the second match as a balanced offensive attack hit at a .452 clip, while forcing Lasell into 14 errors to go with their 14 kills. Joyce led the Lasers with five kills while sophomore Sean Delaney (Brockton, Mass.) had three.

After Lasell took an 8-7 in the first set, Springfield closed out the set on a 18-3 burst to win 25-11. There were 12 ties in the second set. Lasell, which trailed by as many as five points in the early going, would battle back to tie the set up at 23-all, only to have Springfield deliver a sideout kill and a block on the pin for the 25-23 win. 

Lasell would not go down without a fight, jumping to an 8-4 lead in the third set. But Springfield scored 16 of the next 19 points in the match to open up a 20-11 edge.  Springfield would complete the win with the 25-14 victory. 

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