NEWTON, Mass. (2/8/24) – The No. 15 Nichols College men's volleyball team earned a 3-1 (25-22, 25-21, 15-25, 25-20) win over Lasell University in non-conference play on Thursday night, capturing their sixth consecutive victory at the Lasell Athletic Center.

The Bison continue rolling to a 12-1 (1-0 NEVC) record this season, while the Lasers drop to 5-5 (1-0 GNAC).

Senior right side hitter Tanner Soracco paced the Bison effort with a career-high 19 kills, along with hitting .457 (19-3-35) and seven digs. Graduate utility Carlos Mercado also notched a new personal best with a match-high 43 assists, which paired nicely with 11 digs for his second double-double of the season. Graduate outside hitter Jack Normandin spiked 13-of-28 attempts, while freshman Bryce Bonville finished the match with a season-high 10 kills.

Nichols got off to a strong start offensively with 20 kills and a .395 hitting percentage in the first set. From a 4-4 tie early, the Bison forced Lasell into a timeout after consecutive kills by Normandin and Soracco, which gave them a 6-4 edge. From that point onward, the Bison remained one step ahead of the Lasers, cruising to a 25-22 victory to open the match.

The second set was a close one featuring 11 tied scores throughout. However, with the two teams knotted up at 16-16, the Bison pieced together a rapid 3-0 run to gain a 19-16 edge over the Lasers, fueled by both a kill and service ace by Mercado. The lead again remained with the guests for the remainder of the set, with a final service ace from Nick Martin giving the Bison the win, 25-21.

However, Lasell had an answer in the third set. The Lasers utilized a 10-2 run to turn stretch out an 11-10 lead to 21-12, before claiming four of the final five points to win the set 25-15 to stave off the sweep.  

Riding the momentum of a strong showing in the third, the Lasers built a 7-5 lead to open the third. Even so, the Bison rose to the challenge and tied the frame at 9-9, before working up a 4-1 run to take the lead 12-10. After another brief exchange of points, the Bison cruised down the stretch with an 8-4 run to bring their lead up to 21-17, eventually winning the match on succeeding kills by Soracco and Mercado. Nichols hit .387 in the third set with 16 kills, as compared to the Lasers' .308 clip and 12 kills.

The Bison will get a few days of rest before their next matchup against NAIA opponent Fisher College (0-4) on Monday, February 12^th. The match is set for a 7:00 PM start at Pappas Gymnasium in Boston, Massachusetts.