Men's Volleyball Snaps Losing Streak with 3-1 Win at Mount Ida

NEWTON, Mass. –The Lasell College men's volleyball team took home a 3-1 Great Northeast Athletic Conference victory over Mount Ida College on Thursday evening. The Lasers claimed the win with 25-22, 25-27, 25-21, and 25-18 scores to improve to 17-10 on the season and 6-8 in the GNAC.

Sophomore Anthony Allen (Grafton, Mass.) led the Lasers with 15 kills, while Patrick MacDonald (Flor Park, N.Y.) notched 10 kills and served four aces and sophomore Ryan Jackson (Massillon, Ohio) recorded 29 assists. Julius Rosario (Stoughton, Mass.) had six kills and three blocks for Lasell, while Matt Dugan (New Lenox, Ohio) led the Lasers with 10 digs.

Nick Melillo (North Haven, Conn.) turned in an eight-kill performance in the match, and capped his home career with a block and a half, while Nick Schibi (Torrington, Conn.) notched five kills and a team-high eight digs in his final game in Newton. Sophomore Brady Rodriguez (Longwood, Fla.) turned in a team-high 13 kill performance, while also leading the Mustangs with four service aces and assisting on 18 points. His classmate James Ames (West Hartford, Conn.) had ten kills of his own.

Mount Ida came out of the blocks strong, taking a 3-0 lead in the first game and holding the edge until the Lasers tied the game at 7. The game remained close until a 6-0 run served by Dalton Whitman (Merriden, Conn.), which included two of his three aces, gave Lasell a 15-11 edge. Mount Ida would get as close as two points several times, thanks to kills by Rodriguez and Melillo, but a kill by Drew Caruso (Haverhill, Mass.) ended the tight first set.

The hosts were able to get past Lasell in the second game, coming back from a 22-19 deficit to tie the game at 22 thanks to an ace by sophomore Michael McCullough (Southborough, Mass.).

They again faced a game point at 24-23 Lasell, but scored two straight points thanks to a Rodriguez kill and a Lasell attacking error. Allen tied the game again for the Lasers, but Rodriguez provided the victory for Mount Ida with a kill and a service ace.

Lasell pulled away in the third game when, trailing 9-8, they ripped off an 8-1 run that included another ace and a kill by Whitman. A Melillo kill made it 20-18 in favor of Lasell, but two kills from MacDonald closed the door on a Mustang comeback.

The Lasers finished off the night by taking the final six points of the fourth game to turn a 19-18 lead into a 25-18 match-clinching victory.

Mustang sophomore Dennis Miranda (Hialeah, Fla.) added five kills and Jimmy Wessel (DeKalb, Ill.) and Ames each dug out seven balls.

Mount Ida (8-19, 2-12 GNAC) finishes their 2014 season on Saturday when they travel to Providence, R.I. for a GNAC tri-match featuring Emmanuel and the hosts Johnson & Wales.

Lasell will host a tri-match of their own on Sunday when they welcome Emerson and Albertus Magnus.