DUDLEY, Mass. (9/25/2026) – The Nichols College women's volleyball team battled hard Friday night, dropping a four-set decision to Endicott College, 26-24, 25-13, 25-20, 25-19, at the Nichols Athletics Center.
With the loss, the Bison fall to 2-12 overall and 0-2 in Conference of New England (CNE) play, while the Gulls improve to 9-3 overall and remain undefeated in conference play at 3-0.
Freshman
Sofia Novak and
Alyssa Morse led the Bison offensively, with Novak recording eight kills and eight digs, while Morse added seven kills and 16 digs.
Gabrielle McKayle,
Rayna Joquin, and
Ella Pratt each contributed six kills. From the service line,
Lena Heini paced the Bison with three aces, while Novak added two. At the net, McKayle, Joquin, and Pratt each recorded two blocks to anchor the Nichols defense.
Naseem Hennouch and Heini helped facilitate the Bison offense, recording 19 and 12 assists, respectively. Morse and
Elizabeth Mullen anchored the back row, with Morse tallying 16 digs and Mullen adding 15.
Endicott opened the first set by taking the first two points, but the Bison quickly responded with a five-point surge, fueled by kills from Novak, McKayle, and Pratt, to take an early 5-3 lead. Nichols continued to apply pressure, using another 5-3 run to extend its advantage to 10-6. The two teams traded points throughout the middle of the set before the Gulls regained the lead and pushed ahead 19-15. Timely aces from Heini helped bring the Bison back within striking distance as the set tightened. With the opening set coming down to the wire, Nichols closed with a 5-1 run, capped by a kill from
Sofia Novak, to secure the 26-24 victory.
The second set remained competitive early, with kills from McKayle, Joquin, and Pierre helping Nichols stay within striking distance. The Bison battled back to tie the set at 12-12 before Endicott pulled away late. The Gulls closed the set on a 13-1 run to take the second, 25-13, and even the match at one set apiece.
The third set opened with Nichols jumping out to an early 3-1 lead behind kills from Morse and McKayle. Endicott quickly answered, but the Bison continued to battle, using kills from McKayle, Joquin, and Novak to keep the set close. Nichols later rallied to tie the set at 9-9 before the Gulls regained the lead. The Bison continued to fight, with kills from McKayle, Novak, and
Ella Pratt helping Nichols remain within striking distance. Endicott eventually extended its advantage to 20-15, but Nichols responded with a 3-0 run to cut the deficit to 20-18. The Gulls held off the comeback attempt, closing the set 25-20 to take a 2-1 lead.
The fourth set started with both teams trading points before Endicott used a strong stretch at the service line to build an 8-2 lead. Nichols responded with kills from Bottone and Joquin, along with an ace from Heini, to cut the deficit to 9-6. The Gulls continued to maintain their advantage, but the Bison refused to go quietly. Morse and Novak sparked a late Nichols run, with the Bison cutting the deficit to 22-18. Novak followed with an ace and Mullen added a key play at the net, but Endicott held off the comeback and closed the set 25-19 to take the match.
The Bison will hit the road for their next matchup, traveling to Wenham, Mass., to face the Fighting Scots of Gordon College on Saturday, October 3, at the Bennett Center.
