Men's Volleyball Ends Regular Season With Straight Sets Loss at Lasell

NEWTON, Mass. - Emmanuel men's volleyball ended its regular season in defeat, breaking up a four-game winning streak on Saturday, falling in straight sets to the Lasell Lasers (25-21, 25-22, 25-16), in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action at the Lasell University Athletics Center.

The win for Lasell moves them to 17-11 (12-2 GNAC) this season, as they clinch the No. 2 seed in the GNAC Playoffs. The Saints drop to 16-9 (9-5 GNAC) with the loss and find themselves as the No. 4 seed in the Postseason picture.

The offenses for both sides were off to hot starts in the opening set with Emmanuel hitting .545 on 13 kills, one error and 22 attempts. Lasell matched the offense, hitting .467 on 16 kills, two errors, and 30 attempts. The first set was nothing short of a back-and-forth battle for momentum but a three-point spurt for the Lasers in the middle of the set gave them a 17-13 lead and all the room they needed to claim the set as the Lasers and Saints traded the final 16 points of the set, eventually ending on a Lasell kill and a 25-21 set win.

The offense cooled off in the second set with both teams hitting around .200. The set came down to the final points of the frame as an Emmanuel comeback fell just shy in a 25-22 set win for Lasell. The Lasers led 23-22 and closed out the set on a kill and a block, winning the set by three.

In the third, the defining moment came with Lasell leading 16-14 and closing out the match on a 9-2 run, including scoring the final five points of the match, securing a straight sets win, and the No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

Saints sophomore Michael Shelley (San Francisco, Calif.) finished with a match-high 16 kills, hitting .361 on the day. Junior Louis Da Silva (Marseille, France) added seven kills for the Saints in defeat.

Emmanuel hosts a GNAC Quarterfinal match on Tuesday, April 9 against the No. 5 seed Regis Pride at 7:00 p.m. in the Jean Yawkey Center. As the No. 2 seed, Lasell receives a bye into the GNAC Semifinals and will play the winner of the No. 3 seeded Rivier Raiders and No. 6 seeded Emerson Lions on Thursday, April 11.