WVB: Suffolk outlasts Lasers in five sets

BOSTON, Mass. – The Lasell University and Suffolk University women's volleyball teams went back and forth for two hours Thursday evening, and it was the host Rams that pulled out a dramatic five-set victory (3-2) over the Lasers in a non-conference match at the Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court.

Suffolk captured the first (26-24) and third (25-14) sets, only to see Lasell battle back to take the second (25-14) and fourth (25-19) sets for force the decisive fifth set. The Rams won the first five points of the set and went on to clinch the match with a 15-6 victory. Suffolk evened its record at 5-5 while Lasell dropped to 2-3.

The Lasers got a strong performance from freshman Juliana Medini (Roxbury, N.J.), who registered eight blocks (two solo, six assisted) and six kills on eight attack attempts (.625).  Classmate Sabine Milton (San Mateo, Calif.) recorded team-highs nine kills and five service aces and added four blocks and a team-high eight digs.

The Lasers jumped to an early 6-1 in the first set before Suffolk battled back to tie the score at 11-all. There were nine more deadlocks in the set, including 24-24, before the Rams got back-to-back kills to pull out the set.

The second set was close again, with Lasell up 15-13, when the Lasers posted nine unanswered points on the serving of freshman Madalyn Scully (Mauston, Wis.). Scully had a service ace and Medini posted two kills in the rally and Lasell went on to a 25-14 win to even the match.

Suffolk held an early lead in the third set and then went on an 8-1 surge to pull ahead 21-11 before closing out a 24-15 verdict to take a 2-1 set lead. The Lasers trailed a tight fourth set 16-14 when they came alive with a 7-1 streak to pull ahead 22-17, propelling the visitors to a 25-19 decision to force the decisive fifth set.

The Rams never trailed in the final set, leading 5-0 and 7-1 before Lasell registered back-to-back points. Suffolk proved too strong and went on to prevail in the set and the match.

The Lasers will be in Boston again on Saturday for a tri-match at Wentworth Institute of Technology, along with Worcester State University. The home opener is a week away, next Thursday, September 23, vs. UMass Dartmouth, on the new gym floor in the Lasell Athletic Center (7:00 p.m.).

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