DUDLEY, Mass. -  The Nichols College women's volleyball team dropped against UMass Boston 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-20) in a non conference matchup this Wednesday evening.

With the loss, the Bison record drops to 6-14 (1- 4 CNE) , while the Beacon record rises to 11-9 (3-0 LEC).

Melina Bezati paced the Bison attack with five kills, while Alyssa Morse and Mairead Frost chipped in four apiece. Senior Maille Ianniruberto, junior Elizabeth Mullen, and freshman Alyssa Morse each tallied an ace. Ianniruberto also held strong at the net with two blocks, and senior Kya Burdier ran the offense with 11 assists. Defensively, Morse collected 10 digs, with Frost and Burdier adding six each.

The Beacons jumped out to an early lead with a 12-3 run to open the match. The Bison fought back, capitalizing on UMass Boston's errors, with Frost and Burdier each recording key kills. Despite the late push, Nichols couldn't close the gap, and the Beacons took the first set 25-19.

Nichols opened the second set with the first point, but UMass Boston responded with a 10-point run. The Bison offense found its rhythm late, rallying with a 7-1 run sparked by a kill from Melina Bezati. However, the comeback was halted as the Beacons closed the set with a kill, holding Nichols to 17 points.

The third set proved to be the most competitive, as Nichols claimed its first lead of the match when Ianniruberto delivered a service ace to make it 8-6. Both teams traded points, with UMass Boston regaining the advantage but struggling to pull away. The Beacons built momentum down the stretch, but the Bison battled back with four crucial points to cut the deficit to three. Ultimately, UMass Boston secured the final two points to complete the sweep, taking the set 25-20.

The Bison will return home for their Bison October Tri-Match on Saturday, October 18, hosting conference opponent Suffolk University at 11:00 a.m. and non-conference opponent Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts at 3:00 p.m.