CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Lesley University fell to Lasell College Thursday night in non-conference women's volleyball play, as the Lasers made only two errors in the first and third sets combined in the team's 3-0 (25-12, 27-25, 25-14) win at the Nicholas Athletics Center.
Leading the middle set 24-20, Lesley looked poised to tie the match 1-1 following a rocky opening set, but the Lasers came from behind with a 7-1 run, shocking the Lynx and running away in three sets.
Lasell's (10-14) Danielle Drapeau (Biddeford, ME/Biddeford) hit a stunning .692 to lead all players, crushing a team-high nine kills on 13 attempts, adding match-bests of four solo blocks and three service aces. Meghan Crozier (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston) dished out 26 assists and Marisa Visocchi (Whitman, MA/Whitman-Hanson) led the Lasers back row with 11 digs.
For the Lynx (4-12), Megan Ortwein (Shanghai, China/American School) led all players with 10 kills, Rachel Frederickson (Marston Mills, MA/Dennis-Yarmouth) scooped a match-high 12 digs, and reigning New England Collegiate Conference Rookie of the Week Danielle Johnson (Waterford, CT/Waterford) added seven kills and nine digs.
The Lasers hit a blistering .588, with 13 kills and only one error over 23 attempts in the opening set. When the Lynx pulled to within 12-9, an 8-1 run featuring three of Drapeau's four aces distanced the visitors in the 25-12 victory.
A Jenna Lynn Geary (Marion, MA/Old Rochester) ace tied Game 2 for the sixth time at 18-18, but Lesley responded with two kills from Johnson and then two from Ortwein assisted by Johnson, facing game point at 24-20. Two kills from Lasell's Stella Edwards (Quincy, MA/Quincy) forced a Lynx timeout, and with the set tied 25-25, a Jessica Baird (Plymouth, MA/South) kill followed by an Edwards ace wrapped up the comeback 27-25 win.
Lesley battled out of the gate in Game 3, which junior setter Kaitlyn Miller (Leesport, PA/Schuylkill) tied with a kill to make it a 10-10 contest, but the Lynx ran out of gas after forcing seven ties in the set's first 10 points. Lasell broke the tie with seven straight points, six off consecutive Lynx errors, and ran away with a 25-14 win.
Miller totaled 22 assist to lead Lynx.
Lasell's Edwards, meanwhile, finished with five kills, the two most important coming in her team's pivotal 7-1 run to wrap up Game 2.
Lesley returns to NECC play, traveling to Mitchell on Saturday at noon. Lasell hits the road for a Great Northeast Athletic Conference tri-match with St. Joseph (CT) and Rivier starting Saturday at 10 a.m.