MVB: Lasers Sweep Battle of the Boardwalk

Atlantic City, NJ- The Lasers travelled to New Jersey this weekend to compete in the Battle of the Boardwalk tournament. Lasell went 3-0 on the weekend, defeating Rutgers-Newark, Drew, and Arcadia. 

Lasell vs Rutgers-Newark 

The match between Rutgers-Newark ended with Lasell securing a dominant 3-0 victory. The final scoreline was 25-22, 25-21, 25-23 in favor of Lasell, who improved to a 4-1 record overall, while Rutgers-Newark dropped to 1-1.

In the first set, Lasell showed its strength early, winning 25-22, with Theo Zaharewicz leading the attack with 16 kills and a hitting percentage of .538. Dexter Thomas added five kills with a .571 hitting percentage, while Carter Phillips contributed a solid performance with one kill and a block assist.

The second set saw Lasell extend their lead to 2-0, winning 25-21. Again, it was Zaharewicz who carried the load for Lasell, with another 7 kills. Trystan Maloney's strong serving also helped Lasell maintain momentum. Rutgers-Newark's Derek Au did his best to keep his team in the match, contributing 4 kills and a total of 7.5 points, but the team's hitting errors, with a .321 percentage in the second set, held them back.

In the third and final set, Lasell completed the sweep with a 25-23 win, despite a late push from Rutgers-Newark, who rallied after trailing. Rutgers-Newark continued to press hard offensively, but Lasell's defense and hitting efficiency proved too much. Lasell's team-wide effort, with several players contributing in both attack and defense, clinched the match.

Lasell vs Drew

In the second match of the weekend, Lasell dominated Drew in straight sets, securing a 3-0 victory. The final scoreline was 25-17, 25-16, 25-17, as Lasell improved to 5-1 on the season while Drew remained winless at 0-2.

Lasell's offense was firing on all cylinders, with Zaharewicz leading the way. Zaharewicz had a stellar performance, finishing with 12 kills and 15.5 points in total, while hitting .500 for the match. Dexter Thomas contributed 3 kills from the outside, and Benjamin Walinjom added 8 kills with a .600 hitting percentage. Maloney set up the offense with 20 assists, guiding his team to an efficient 48-point performance on 39 total kills. Lasell's serving game was also strong, with 7 aces, led by Zaharewicz who recorded 3. Despite 12 service errors, Lasell's offensive efficiency was enough to carry them through.

The first set saw Lasell take control early, hitting at an impressive .667 clip with 16 kills. Drew's offense was inefficient, registering only 12 kills but hitting just .241. Lasell cruised to a 25-17 win. In the second set, Lasell maintained their dominance, pushing past Drew with another solid offensive performance, despite a slight drop in hitting efficiency. They took the set 25-16, and Drew's struggles continued, with only 4 kills in the set.

The final set mirrored the first two, with Lasell pulling away early and never looking back.

Lasell vs Arcadia 

In a thrilling five-set battle at the Harrah's Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, Lasell outlasted Arcadia to claim a 3-2 victory. The match, which lasted over two hours, ended with set scores of 25-15, 25-22, 18-25, 23-25, and 15-6, as Lasell improved to 6-1 on the season while Arcadia fell to 2-1.

Lasell's offense was led by Zaharewicz, who put up a stellar performance with 17 kills and 21.5 points, while hitting .286. Jasper Schultz also had a strong showing, contributing 14 kills and 17.5 points. The team was also buoyed by solid defensive efforts, with Trystan Maloney dishing out 31 assists, and multiple players contributing in the back row, including Ryan Mesnik, who added 9 digs.

In the first set, Lasell established an early lead, jumping out to a 25-15 victory with a balanced offensive effort. Zaharewicz and Schultz were dominant, while Arcadia struggled with their hitting efficiency, posting a .182 team hitting percentage. In the second set, Arcadia started to find some rhythm, closing the gap but ultimately falling short, with Lasell winning 25-22. Zaharewicz continued to lead the charge, but Arcadia showed some resilience, with Danny Gonzalez and Josh Clendening each adding significant points.

The third set saw Arcadia battle back, forcing a third-set win with a strong 25-18 performance. Gonzalez was instrumental, registering 13 kills and 15 points, while Clendening contributed 14 kills. Arcadia's hitting percentage improved significantly in the third, up to .417, as they capitalized on Lasell's defensive lapses. In the fourth set, Arcadia continued their momentum, winning 25-23, with Gonzalez again leading the charge, but Lasell struggled with consistency, particularly in attacking, finishing with a hitting percentage of just .091.

In the deciding fifth set, Lasell came alive with an explosive 15-6 win to seal the match. Zaharewicz and Schultz combined for 7 kills in the set, and the team's blocking game helped stifle Arcadia's offense. Arcadia's attack faltered in the final set, as they hit a negative .143, unable to sustain their earlier momentum.

Up Next: The Lasers will host their first home matchup of the season, with a tri-match against Sage and Concordia Wisconsin.