Volleyball Extends Win-Streak to Four, Tops Regis 3-1

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College women's volleyball team captured its fourth-straight win of the 2012 season Tuesday evening, downing Regis 3-1 in non-league action at the Lahue Physical Education Center. The Lions improve to 4-0 overall while the Pride slides to 1-4 on the year.

Rookie Dana Day (Coarsegold, Calif.) led the hosts with 10 kills in the match while adding 13 digs. Birdina Tuiava (Colorado Spring, Colo.) handed out 22 assists and recorded six kills and three aces. Cayla Clinkscale (Winchendon, Mass.) registered six kills and posted a team-high three blocks for Eastern Nazarene. Sophomore libero Kori Sorenson (Quincy, Mass.) paced the Lions with 17 digs on her birthday while freshman Hannah Welsh (Derry, N.H.) racked up 12 digs in the win.

Regis was led by Julie Endara with eight kills and Sara Gold turned in a team-high 17 digs in the match.

The first set was tightly contested in the opening points until the Pride scored five unanswered points to grab a 10-6 advantage. The Lions cut the deficit to one point, 12-11, but the visitors kept the hosts at bay to hold on for a 25-21 win in set one.

Eastern Nazarene knotted the match at one set per side with a 25-7 decision in the second frame. Sorenson served out the game as the Lions rattled off an 11-0 run to close out the set.

The home team jumped out to a 5-2 edge to start the third game. Regis clawed back to within two points, 7-5, but were unable to level the score. The Lions expanded the margin to 11 points, 21-10, before the Pride went on a 7-3 run to close the gap. Leann Williams (Oxford, Pa.) capped off the game with one of her four kills in the evening.

Eastern Nazarene continued its momentum in the fourth, opening up an eight-point margin to kick off the set. A 12-5 stretch gave the Lions a commanding 20-5 lead. Regis scored seven of the next eight points to minimize the hosts' advantage to nine, 21-12.

Tuiava finalized the match with her third ace to seal Eastern Nazarene's fourth win of the season.

Up next, the Lions hit the road for the first time this fall. Eastern Nazarene will travel to UMass Dartmouth September 7 to compete in a two-day, four-match tournament. The Lions will square off against the hosts and Framingham State on the opening day before closing out the weekend with matches against Regis and Salem State.