DUDLEY, Mass. (9/23/2026) – The Nichols College women's volleyball team fought until the very end Wednesday night, opening conference play with a five-set thriller against the Wentworth Institute of Technology Leopards, 3-2 (9-25, 27-25, 25-14, 25-22, 7-15).
With the loss, the Bison fell to 1-11 overall and 0-1 in CNE play, while the Leopards improved to 5-7 overall and 1-0 CNE.
Nichols was led offensively by
Alyssa Morse, who recorded 11 kills while hitting .212 on the night.
Gabrielle McKayle added seven kills, while
Sofia Novak chipped in six. The Bison found success from the service line, with
Lena Heini leading the way with five aces.
Elizabeth Mullen added four aces, while
Ella Pratt recorded three. Defensively at the net,
Rayna Joquin and Novak each tallied three blocks, while McKayle added two.
Naseem Hennouch led the Bison with 16 assists, while Heini contributed 13 assists. Morse also anchored the back row, recording her second double-double of the season with a team-high 18 digs while Heini and
Kaitlyn Rodrigues each added 11.
The Leopards opened the match with a dominant 5-0 run before Bottone recorded the first kill of the night for the Bison to halt the early Wentworth momentum. The Leopards continued to build on their lead, using a series of runs to take a 17-3 advantage. Nichols battled back with kills from Bottone and Novak, but Wentworth maintained control to take the opening set, 25-9.
The Bison responded early in the second set, taking their first lead of the match at 3-2 behind kills from McKayle and Morse. Wentworth answered with a 9-1 run to regain control and continued to extend its lead throughout the frame. Nichols began to settle in with kills from Pierre, Joquin, and Mullen, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome as the Leopards took the second set, 25-17.
Nichols came out firing in the third set, trading points with Wentworth early before taking a 7-5 lead. The Leopards briefly regained the advantage, but the Bison responded with a 7-0 run behind strong serving from Pratt and kills from Novak to take a 16-12 lead. Pratt continued to make an impact from the service line, recording two aces during the run, while Novak added multiple kills to help Nichols maintain its momentum. The Bison continued to pull away late, scoring nine of the final 11 points to take the third set, 25-14, and cut the match deficit to 2-1.
Wentworth jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the fourth set before Nichols answered with kills from Pratt and McKayle. The Leopards continued to hold a narrow advantage, eventually taking a 13-7 lead. Nichols began to chip away at the deficit, with Morse and Hennouch helping the Bison stay within striking distance. The momentum shifted late in the set as Heini took over from the service line. Heini recorded three consecutive aces and helped Nichols score ten straight points, turning an 18-12 deficit into a 21-18 lead. The Leopards responded with a late push, but Nichols held on behind a kill from Joquin and a service ace from Mullen to reach set point at 24-21. After Wentworth cut the lead to 24-22, Morse delivered the deciding kill to give the Bison a 25-22 victory and force a fifth set.
After forcing a fifth set, the Leopards came out strong, opening the frame with a commanding 7-3 run. The Bison fought to shift the momentum, putting together a four-point run behind strong defensive play, including blocks from
Rayna Joquin and
Sofia Novak, along with crucial kills from
Jhudny Pierre and
Alyssa Morse to even the score at 7-7. Wentworth turned up the heat and quickly ended the match, scoring eight points straight and completing the five set showdown 7-15.
The Bison will return home this Friday, September 25th, to face the Manhattanville Knights at the Nichols Athletics Center at 6:00 PM.
