MVB: Lasers Fall Short; Drop to 10-3 on the Season

Poughkeepsie, NY - The Lasers took to the road for a non-conference tri-match against Misericordia and Vassar. Lasell dropped both of their matchups, falling to 10-3 on the season. 

Lasell vs Misericordia 

In the opening set, Lasell came out strong, but Misericordia's offensive power and defensive stability proved too much, as they edged out a 25-21 victory. Lasell's attack was led by Jasper Schultz, who contributed 7 kills in the set, but the team struggled with consistency in their execution.

The second set saw Lasell rally back with improved offense and defense. Behind the strong play of Theo Zaharewicz and Schultz, who contributed 4 and 6 kills respectively, Lasell managed to even the match, winning 25-21. The team showed resilience, stepping up their blocking game and keeping the pressure on Misericordia.

However, Misericordia came out strong in the third set, with standout performances from Jared Piontkowski, who had 17 kills throughout the match, and Anthony DePalma. The Cougars' offensive surge overwhelmed Lasell in a high-scoring set, with Misericordia clinching the 33-26 win, despite a valiant effort from Lasell.

In the fourth and final set, Lasell continued to fight, with Zaharewicz adding 4 more kills and Benjamin Walinjom contributing to the offense. However, despite Lasell's best efforts to keep the match alive, Misericordia proved too consistent in their closing stages, taking the set 26-24 to secure the win.

Despite the loss, Lasell had several strong individual performances. Schultz led the team with 7 kills in the match, while Zaharewicz finished with 14 kills. Defensively, Ryan Mesnik and Teddy Teraszkiewicz stood out with solid digging and passing efforts. Lasell also showed improvement in their blocking game, though they could not contain Misericordia's offensive firepower.

Lasell vs Vassar 

In the first set, Lasell fell 25-16, unable to break through Vassar's defensive efforts. Despite strong performances from Jasper Schultz and Theo Zaharewicz, who recorded 7 and 4 kills respectively, Vassar's consistent attack proved too much for the Lasers to handle.

Lasell showed some improvement in set two, but they still fell short, losing 25-18. Schultz and Zaharewicz continued to lead the team offensively, while Benjamin Walinjom and Teddy Teraszkiewicz each added contributions. However, Vassar's balanced offensive attack, led by Shawn Zheng and Gavin Akoto, overwhelmed Lasell's defense.

In the final set, Lasell fought hard, but ultimately lost 25-16, completing the sweep for Vassar. Despite standout defensive efforts from Ryan Mesnik, who had 7 digs, and the team's continued fight, Lasell couldn't keep pace with Vassar's powerful hitters, particularly Zheng, who recorded 9 kills and a .368 attack percentage.

Lasell's attack struggled throughout the match, posting a .035 attack percentage, compared to Vassar's .244. The team's difficulty in maintaining consistency on offense was compounded by Vassar's solid blocking and defense, which neutralized Lasell's attack.