LASELL SLOWS DOWN MEN'S VOLLEYBALL

NEWTON, Mass. – Sophomore Janci Soto (Lawrence, Mass.) smashed 11 kills with a .476 attack percentage (11-1-21) Tuesday evening to lead Lasell College to a 3-0 sweep over Emmanuel College in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's volleyball match at the Lasell Athletic Center.

The Lasers pulled out the match by set scores of 25-21, 25-22, and 28-26, to post their third victory in their last four matches, improving to 5-15 overall and 3-3 in the GNAC. Emmanuel drops to 7-11 overall and 2-3 in conference play.

Lasell also got nine kills apiece from junior Jordan Aprea (Newington, Conn.) and freshman Aaron Waitekus (Norwood, Mass.), with Waitekus hitting at a .450 clip (9-0-20) and posting a team-high four blocks. Junior Andy Henriquez (Lawrence, Mass.) hit seven winners and finished with 33 assists, second-most this season in a three-set match. Henriquez and freshman Cobi Moore (Hampstead, N.H.) tallied 23 and 22 digs, respectively.

Junior Erik English (Simi Valley, Calif.) led all players with 12 kills for the visitors, and sophomore John Carroll (Massapequa, N.Y.) added six winners. Sophomore setter Seamus McDonagh (Long Beach, N.Y.) was good for 26 assists, and three Saints reached double figures in digs, sophomore Max Gottuso (Long Beach, N.Y.) with 16, junior Kevin Orsley (San Jose, Calif.) with 15, and English with 11.

Emmanuel led the first set by as many as six points (11-5) before Lasell battled back to tie the score at 17-all. The Lasers held a one-point lead (22-21) before consecutive kills by Waitekus, freshman Conor Leary-Watson (Bethany Conn.) and Aprea closed out the set.

The visitors led much of the second set early on, and held a 16-12 advantage before Lasell recorded five straight points to take a 17-16 lead. It was a 22-21 Lasell lead before the home team won three of the next four points on kills by junior Nathan Gallo (North Providence, R.I.), Aprea and Henriquez to clinch the set.

For the third straight set, Emmanuel held the early lead and had a four-point margin (16-12) past the midway point before Lasell battled back to tie it at 18-18. The score went back and forth, with neither team leading by more than a point until the end. Both teams fought off a set point, but Lasell put the match away on kills by sophomore Eric Silveira (Pawtucket, R.I.) and Soto.

Lasell will be back on the court Saturday, March 24, with a GNAC match at Johnson & Wales University (11:00 a.m.) and a non-conference match at JWU against Medgar Evers College (1:00 p.m.)  Emmanuel returns home to host Rivier University on Thursday, March 22, in a GNAC match at 7:00 p.m.

*Release courtesy of Lasell College Athletic Communications