WVB: Lasers earn split on day with first win of season over Southern Maine

HENNIKER, N.H. – The Lasell University women's volleyball team split its two decisions in a tri-match Saturday afternoon at New England College, falling to the host Pilgrims in the first match, 3-1, but bouncing back with a 3-2 victory over the University of Southern Maine in the nightcap.

The win is not only the first win of the season for the Lasers (1-2), but the first win for head coach Jeff Vautrin as coach of the Lasell women's team. Vautrin took over the women's program in the spring of 2020 but last year's season was cancelled due to the pandemic. Vautrin is also in his third year as head coach of the Lasell men's volleyball team.

The Lasers will play back-to-back non-conference matches this Wednesday and Thursday at Curry College (6 p.m) and Suffolk University (7 p.m.), respectively.

New England College 3, Lasell 1

After dropping the first set 25-15, Lasell came back to take the second set, 25-16. The wild third set went back and forth, with NEC going on an 8-2 run to turn a 10-10 deadlock into an 18-12 lead before Lasell rallied to pull ahead 22-21. The score was tied at 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 before the Pilgrims won the final three points to pull out the set, 27-25.

With the fourth set tied at 14-all, NEC went on another run, posting eight straight points and pulling ahead 22-14. Lasell attempted another comeback with five points in a row to close the gap, but the hosts closed out the set (25-19) and the match (3-1).

The Lasers had a balanced offensive attack with freshman Sabine Milton (San Mateo, Calif.) posting eight kills, classmates Juliana Medini (Roxbury, N.J.) and Madalyn Scully (Mauston, Wis.) adding six winners and first-years Tori Scambray (Brea, Calif.), Mckenna McCool (Loomis, Calif.) and Camila Lopez (Barquisimeto, Venezuela) chipping in with five kills each. Medini also had a team-high three blocks and Lopez made a team-high four service aces and 14 digs.

Senior setter Jess Langan (Burnt Hills, N.Y.), the lone veteran in the Laser line-up, finished with 19 assists and freshman setter Emily Cerasini (Buena Park, Calif.) had 10 assists.

Lasell 3, Southern Maine 2

Lasell dropped the first set (25-16) for the second time, but again bounced back to even things up with a 25-21 verdict in the second set. The Lasers pulled ahead with a solid 25-17 victory in the third set, but this time Southern Maine leveled the match with a 25-13 triumph to force a fifth and deciding set.

Neither team led by more than a point until Lasell pulled ahead 9-7. After USM pulled back to within a point at 9-8, the Lasers ran off four straight points to take a 13-8 lead and went on to a 15-10 victory to clinch the match.

Milton posted a team-high 18 kills for Lasell with 10 digs and a .317 attack percentage, while Scambray added 12 kills and a team-high 22 digs. Medini had nine kills and senior Meg Roberts (Newington, Conn.) chipped in with eight kills and a team-best five blocks.

Langan recorded a season-high 34 assists and 13 digs, while McCool and sophomore Isabelle Babcock (York, Maine) also reached double figures in digs with 15 and 11, respectively.

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