STANDISH, Maine – #6 Saint Joseph's College (15-15, 10-5 GNAC) will play at #2 Regis College (25-7, 14-1 GNAC) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Volleyball Tournament Semifinal matchup tonight at 7:00 PM.
BRACKETOLOGY:
2023 GNAC Women's Volleyball Tournament Schedule
Play-In – Monday, Nov. 6 (Hosted by higher seeds)
#7 Emmanuel def. #10 Colby-Sawyer, 3-2
#9 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) def. #8 New England College, 3-2
Quarterfinals – Tuesday, Nov. 7 (Hosted by higher seeds)
#1 Simmons def. #9 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), 3-0
#2 Regis def. #7 Emmanuel, 3-0
#6 Saint Joseph's (Maine) def #3 Johnson & Wales, 3-2
#4 Lasell def. #5 Rivier, 3-0
Semifinals – Thursday, Nov. 9 (Hosted by higher seeds)
#4 Lasell at #1 Simmons, 7 p.m.
#6 Saint Joseph's (Maine) at #2 Regis, 7 p.m.
Championship – Saturday, Nov. 11
Semifinal winners, TBD
TEAM STATISTICS IN GNAC PLAY:
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Saint Joseph's:
- Sophomore Victoria Briones (El Paso, Texas) continues to establish herself as one of the top underclassmen all-around players in the conference and leads the team in kills (246), digs (384), and service aces (55); she ranks fifth in the GNAC in aces and 10th in digs
- Sophomore Nadia Sixto (Chattanooga, Tenn.), who is proving to be a game changer on the right side for the Monks, has recorded 200 kills with 26 aces and 63 total blocks; she also ranks sixth in the GNAC with 18 block solos
- Freshman Larisa Comolli (Nashua, N.H.) has had an immediate impact for the Monks and sports team-highs in attack percentage (.245), block assists (55), and total blocks (68) and ranks seventh in the conference in each category; she has produced 158 total kills this fall
Regis:
- Freshman Avery Mola (Cheshire, Conn.), a two-time GNAC Rookie of the Week selection, has tallied 279 kills, 325 digs, and 44 service aces and ranks sixth in the conference in points (340)
- Junior Kamdyn Tenorio (Irvine, Calif.) has recorded 250 kills, 411 digs, and 65 aces; she ranks third in the conference in aces, fourth in digs, and 10th in kills
- Grad student Rita Dow (Nashua, N.H.) boasts 217 kills with a .237 attack percentage and 94 total blocks; she leads the GNAC in block assists and ranks second in total blocks, ninth in block solos (17), and 10th in attack percentage
ATTITUDE REFLECTS LEADERSHIP:
SAINT JOSEPH'S: Jon Roberts (6th season, 55-95, .367)
REGIS: Josh Anderson (3rd season, 63-28, .692)
THE LAST TIME WE MET:
Regis defeated Saint Joseph's, 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-21), in Weston, Massachusetts on September 26th. The Monks had a tough day at the net with a negative hitting percentage (-.010, 24 kills/25 errors) – an occurrence that happened only twice all season (the other being the 2023 opener vs. Maine Maritime). The Pride countered with a solid .143 attack rate (28 kills/14 errors) and planted 13 service aces – the second-highest total by an SJC foe all season – in the 3-0 triumph.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
The Monks are 2-10 in the history of the series with Regis College and have suffered six-consecutive defeats at the hands of the Pride. St. Joe's last defeated Regis on October 1st, 2010.
POSTSEASON HISTORY:
The Monks have made the conference tournament 11 out of the last 13 years with trips to the postseason in each of the last eight seasons. With the upset quarterfinal victory at Johnson & Wales on Tuesday Saint Joseph's is making a GNAC semifinal appearance for the first time since the 2015 campaign.
Since entering the GNAC in 2017, the Pride have advanced to the postseason four times (in six seasons) with a 2-3 record in GNAC tourney play. Regis defeated Norwich in a 2021 quarterfinal and topped Emmanuel College, 3-0, in quarterfinal action on Tuesday night.
Prior to joining the GNAC, Regis won three-consecutive New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championships and appeared in the 2014, 2015, and 2016 NCAA DIII Tournament.
