Women's Volleyball Struggles at Roger Williams Tournament

NEWTON, Mass. (9/5/15) – The Lasell College volleyball team had a tough trip to Bristol, R.I. for the Roger Williams Invitational on September 4-5 at the Campus Rec Center. The Lasers suffered four losses in the tournament, and look to bounce back from the 0-6 start to the year.

In game one, the Lasers competed with the Wheaton Lyons, however, were defeated by set scores of 25-21, 25-18, and 25-14. Sophomore Odina Ellis (Providence, R.I.) tied the game-high kills with seven, while senior Heather Longley (North Granby, Conn.) followed with six kills and a total of eight points. Sophomore Michele Canastro (Castleton, N.Y.) steered the Lasers' defense with a match-high 13 digs, and sophomore setter Taylor Tiezzi (Meriden, Conn.) recorded 21 assists. Lyons' Arienne Creighton registered six kills of 13 total attemps, swinging into a .462 kill percentage. Deidre Wilson served up 22 assists, while Cathryn Macgregor scooped eight digs. Wheaton held a 38-24 margin in kills, while Lasell's defense recorded 67 digs compared to the opponents' 26.

The Lasers went on to game two, where No. 13 Clarkson University got the best of them by scores of 25-8, 25-16, and 25-14. Ellis contributed to the Lasers' scoring with 4.5 points from four kills and a block assist. Longley chipped in with a trio of kills, as Tiezzi had eight assists. Two Golden Knights reached double digits in kills, as Aishvina Arasu and Victoria Kirkemo had 11 and 10, respectively. Kirkemo gave Clarkson 15 of its 51 points, as setter Kirstie Shurie assisted 28 of them.

Lasell faced local conference foe Emerson College in match three of the tournament. The Lasers were able to get a 25-23 set victory off the start, but the Lions bounced back for three-straight set wins, 25-20, 25-20, and 25-17. Senior Sharisse Scott-Rawlins (Brockton, Mass.) swung into a .238 hitting percentage with a team-high eight kills and eight points, as Ellis scored eight points of her own with seven kills.

In the final match against the six-time Commonwealth Coast reigning champions, the Hawks swept Lasell 3-0 by scores of 25-13, 25-18, and 25-16. Lasell had a hitting percentage of .030, as Tiezzi led the squad with three kills and a swing percentage of .125. Sophomore Caitlyn Garcia (Moreno Valley, Calif.) led the match with a career-high 25 digs, serving as the backbone of Lasell's defense.

The Lasers have their home opener on Tuesday, September 7, as they take on WPI at 7:00 p.m.