NEWTON, Mass. – The Nichols men's volleyball team battled on the road Tuesday night but fell in a non-conference matchup against Lasell University, 3–0 (22–25, 16–25, 20–25), at the Lasell Athletic Center.
Following the setback, Nichols moves to 3–6 overall while remaining 0–0 in NEVC action.
The Bison offense was paced by junior
Bradyn Pomainville, who tallied a team-high 11 kills while hitting at a .296 clip and adding four digs. He was supported by sophomore
Adam Vincent, who finished with nine kills, and
Connor Snow, who recorded four kills and led the team with two service aces. Setter
Evan Sachs directed the offense with 26 assists, while Vincent anchored the back row with seven digs, joined by
Cade Bernardi, who chipped in six.
Set one opened with the Lasers scoring the first two points as they looked to build early momentum. After some back-and-forth action, the Bison responded with a 6–1 run, sparked by a Lasell service error and a kill from Snow, to take a 10–7 lead and swing the momentum in their favor. Nichols held onto the advantage for much of the set, but Lasell stayed within striking distance. The Lasers then went on a decisive six-point run late, erasing the deficit and closing out the opening set, 25–22.
Fueled by their comeback in the opening set, Lasell jumped out to an early five-point run to start the second. A kill from Snow briefly halted the surge, but Nichols still trailed 9–7. The Lasers continued to build separation from there, stretching the lead to 19–13. The Bison showed flashes of life behind kills from Pomainville, Vincent, and senior hitter
KG Bennett, but the rally wasn't enough to stop the momentum, as Lasell claimed the set, 25–16.
Set three opened with a tightly contested stretch, as both teams traded points early with neither side able to gain separation. Nichols stayed within striking distance behind timely kills from Pomainville and Vincent, while Snow added pressure at the service line to keep the Bison close. Midway through the set, Lasell began to string together points, capitalizing on strong attacking and service pressure to build a small cushion. The Bison continued to battle, answering with key points from Bennett and Snow, but Lasell maintained control down the stretch. Despite late efforts from Nichols to close the gap, the Lasers closed out the set, 25–20, to secure the straight-set victory.
The Bison will hit the road for their next matchup, traveling to Maryland for the Stevenson Mustang Classic this weekend. Nichols is set to face Randolph-Macon College on February 13 at 6:00 p.m.
