PREVIEW: Women's Volleyball to Host First GNAC Tournament Match Since 2007

NEWTON, Mass. (10/30/17) -- The Lasell College women's volleyball will host Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) newcomer Regis College on Tuesday October 31 at 6:30 p.m. in a Quarterfinal showdown. The Quarterfinal match-up will mark the Lasers' first home tournament game since the 2007 season.

The Lasers clinched the fourth seed after closing the 2017 regular season winning five of their final seven matches. All five victories come against conference opponents, with the two losses coming against non-conference foes Bridgewater State in five sets and former GNAC member Emerson 3-1.

In 2007, the Lasers clinched the fourth seed, defeating Norwich in five sets before losing to Johnson & Wales in the conference Semifinals. Lasell closed out their inaugural season in the GNAC with a 14-19 overall record, and 10-3 in conference.

2017 has been a milestone season for the Lasers for seniors Taylor Tiezzi (Meriden, Conn.) and Caitlyn Garcia (Moreno Valley, Calif.) Tiezzi currently sits second all-time in career assists at 2,837, and became just the fourth women's volleyball player to reach 1,000 or more career assists and first since 2015.

During the Lasers' loss to Bridgewater State, Tiezzi additionally recorded her 1,000th career dig. With the milestone, Tiezzi joins an elite group and only the third women's volleyball student-athlete to reach the 2,000 assists, 1,000 digs plateau.

Garcia's milestone season is highlighted by becoming only the second libero to reach 2,000 career digs, and the first since 2010. In 33 matches this season, Garcia has recorded a career high 634 digs, and recorded her 2,000th dig in a 3-1 home victory over crosstown rival Mount Ida on October 18th.

Junior Olivia Addington (Orange, Calif.) looks to achieve her own career milestone in the Lasers' Quarterfinal match. Addington sits just ten kills away from being just the third Lasell women's volleyball player to reach 1,000 career kills, and the first since 2011. In 32 matches this season, Addington has boasted a career high 424 Kills, and is currently only ten digs away from tying her career high of 314.

Earlier this season, the Lasers defeated fifth-seeded Regis 3-1 during a tri-match at Emmanuel (Mass.) on October 21st. Lasell won the first two sets against the Pride 25-19 and 25-14 respectively before losing 25-20 in the third set. In the fourth set, the Lasers would bounce back to clinch the match, winning the set 25-19.

Regis will look to knock off the Lasers behind a strong performance from Katryna Veasey (Quincy, Mass.). Veasey, a sophomore for the Pride leads the team this season in both kills and digs with 260 and 217 respectively.

The Pride will also rely on seniors Sydney Trusty (Durham, Conn.) and Haley Schulte (Fullerton, Calif.) in the program's first GNAC tournament match. Trusty sits behind Veasey with 166 Kills, and has also contributed a team fourth-best 154 Digs this season. Schulte comes into the match with 1066 career Assists, including a team high 392 in her senior campaign.

All four GNAC Quarterfinals are set for Tuesday October 31, with conference Semifinals set for Thursday and GNAC Championship on Saturday November 4th.

The Quarterfinal match-up is set for 6:30 p.m. inside the Athletic Center, and can be viewed live at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/lasell/.