Men's Volleyball: Lasers defeat Rivier and Dean on senior day

NEWTON, Mass. - The Lasell University men's volleyball team honored Dillon DeSouza and Brandon Hapgood during senior day Sunday prior to a 3-0 triumph over Dean, and then Brenden Joyce and Jordan Shinaut each finished with 17 kills during a thrilling 3-2 victory over Rivier to end the tri-match in the Athletic Center.

The two victories in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference put the Lasers at 11-2 in the conference and 17-8 overall. Lasell has four regular-season matches remaining, with three counting toward its GNAC record. The unit currently sits in second in the conference standings. Wentworth (11-1) is first and Rivier (10-2) is in third.

After being honored during senior-day festivities, DeSouza (5 kills, 4 service aces) and Hapgood (3 kills, 3 aces, 3 digs) played vital roles as starters during the sweep of Dean.

"We handed our business really well against Dean," said Lasell University Men's Volleyball Head Coach Jeff Vautrin. "Zak Burkett led the offense and distributed a nice balanced attack. Riley Grenier contributed a high level of efficiency from the opposite and the serving line. Dillon DeSouza and Brandon Hapgood celebrated their senior-day game with a high level of energy and leadership."

Match 2 (Lasell 3, Rivier 2):

After falling at Rivier, 3-1, on March 19, the Lasers posted a 3-2 comeback win Sunday, as they trailed 2-1 after three sets. Junior setter Jesus Garcia tallied a team-leading 37 assists and match-high 14 digs. Freshman Alex Weinhaus finished with 13 digs, while Shinaut (6 blocks), junior Jan Baranowski (6 blocks) and junior Tucker Merritt (5 blocks) were forces at the net.

"The match against Rivier was a very important conference matchup, as we start to narrow down the top-three programs in our conference," said Vautrin. "Jesus led a great offense today and was extremely solid on defense. Our serve receive was great, which kept us unpredictable on the attack. Brenden Joyce and Jordan Shinaut led the team to victory with their offensive efficiency, focus and strong-minded mentality. Overall, it was a great team win, and I am sure that we will see them again in the postseason."

In the first set, the Raiders built an 11-6 lead. The Lasers battled back and cut the deficit down to 19-17 on a kill by Joyce. Rivier was able to close out the first set, 25-20, on a service point by Pedro Campos.

The second set was a highly contested game, as the score was tied at 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 9-9, 10-10, 12-12 and 13-13. Five straight service points by Shinaut ended a 6-0 surge by the hosts and gave Lasell some breathing room at 18-13. The Lasers scored the final three points to secure a 25-17 victory and even the match at 1-1.

Rivier responded in the third set, taking a 5-1 advantage on a kill by Isaac Borges. The Lasers hung around and were able to trim the deficit to 18-16. Back-to-back kills by David Smith secured a 25-19 third-set win for the visitors.

The fourth set was tied at 14-14, but then Lasell scored four straight points. The run concluded with an ace by Grenier, giving the unit an 18-14 cushion. A service point by Burkett sealed a 25-21 victory and forced a fifth and final set.

The fifth set only goes up to 15 points, so a quick start is paramount. A kill by Baranowski gave the Lasers a 5-1 advantage. Rivier scored four of the next five points, trimming the deficit to one. The Lasers ended the set on a 9-2 surge, which included two kills by Joyce, as Lasell prevailed, 15-7.

David Smith (17 kills, 12 digs), Sokunbuth Ly (15 kills, 11 digs), Campos (match-leading 46 assists) and Jack Hromada (13 digs) led the way for the Raiders.

Match 1 (Lasell 3, Dean 0):

Grenier tied a career-high with 10 kills and Burkett compiled a match-leading 23 assists for the Lasers. Lasell was tremendous from the service line, as DeSouza, Burkett, sophomore Ryan Fuller, Hapgood and Grenier combined for 18 aces. Fuller finished with seven digs, while Grenier recorded a .438 hitting percentage. Rodrigo Monteiro finished with a match-leading eight digs for the Bulldogs.

An ace by Burkett gave the Lasers an 18-11 advantage in the first set. A 4-0 surge at the end of the set clinched a 25-15 first-set victory.

A kill by freshman Carter Philips put the Lasers in front, 13-8, during the second set. Fuller clinched a 25-16 triumph with an ace.

During the third set, Lasell took complete control with seven consecutive points, building a 13-6 lead with six consecutive service points by Grenier. An ace by Fuller clinched the match and a 25-13 third-set triumph.

Up Next:

The Lasers will compete against Eastern Nazarene Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Athletic Center.

Director of Athletic Communications Trevor Wenners can be reached at twenners@lasell.edu.

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