The Raiders had a lot to celebrate in beating Regis in the GNAC quarterfinals on Tuesday night at the Muldoon Center. (Photo courtesy of Rivier Athletics)

NASHUA – After dropping the first set, the Rivier men’s volleyball team won three straight sets, defeating Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) foe Regis (Mass.), 3-1, Tuesday evening at the Muldoon Center.

The Raiders will take on the No. 2 seed Wentworth Thursday in the GNAC Semifinals. The opening serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Tansey Gymnasium.

With the win, the Raiders improved to 14-11, while the Pride end their season with a record of 15-15.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Rivier built an early edge, going up 11-9 after service aces from sophomore Cade Barron and first-year Kenji Clark. The Raiders later held a 20-16 lead behind kills from junior Tyler Dickinson and senior Matthew McCloskey. Regis responded late, using multiple kills from to tie it at 22-22 before taking the lead on consecutive attack errors. After a Barron kill kept the set alive, Regis finished it with a block at the net to steal the opener.

The Raiders flipped the match immediately in the second, jumping out to a 9-2 lead behind a service run from senior Bassam Awde, highlighted by kills from McCloskey, first-year Everett Boyer, and Barron. The Raiders never let Regis back in, extending the lead to 18-9 with continued offensive production and Regis errors. Barron ended the set with a kill as Rivier hit .519 in the frame.

The third set stayed close throughout, with neither side creating separation as it moved to 15-15. Regis briefly took a 17-15 lead, but the Raiders responded out of a timeout, tying it at 17-17 behind a McCloskey kill and Regis errors. From there, Rivier control late, using kills from Awde and Dickinson along with a block from McCloskey and Awde to close out the set.

The final set featured constant back-and-forth action, with the teams tied at 22-22 late. Regis had earlier taken a 15-11 lead behind a pair of service aces, but Rivier chipped away with kills from McCloskey. After trading points, McCloskey delivered a service ace to give Rivier match point, and Boyer finished with a kill to seal the win.

BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN

As a team, the Raiders hit .252 compared to the Prides .080 hitting percentage…McCloskey paced the offense with 14 kills at a .375 clip…Barron and Boyer finished close behind with 10 and nine kills, respectively…Junior setter Justin Barish logged 43 assists, a season-high, along with three kills, four total blocks, and five digs…Defensively, first-year libero Luis Cruz and Boyer led the team with seven digs each.