WESTON, Mass. - The Norwich University women's volleyball team returned to Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play on Saturday afternoon, heading south to face the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) and Regis College in a conference tri-match hosted inside the Regis Athletic Complex.  Despite taking the opening set off the Blue Jays in match one, the Cadets fell in four sets to Saint Joseph before dropping a straight-set decision to the host Pride.

Norwich opened the day with a highly competitive effort against Saint Joseph, grabbing early momentum and seizing the opening set before the Blue Jays surged to take the match, 3-1 (25-12, 15-25, 19-25, 18-25).

The Cadets came out firing on all cylinders, storming ahead to an 8-1 lead behind a balanced offensive effort and composed defense.  A brief 4-1 response from Saint Joseph was swiftly countered by a 6-1 Norwich burst, highlighted by three kills across the stretch from Bella Belldina Ray (Martinsburg, W.Va.) and Autumn Parkhurst (Parish, N.Y.).  Holding off another quick Blue Jay push, the Cadets extended their advantage to 20-12 and closed the set with five consecutive points to take a 1-0 lead in commanding fashion.

Saint Joseph rebounded swiftly in the second, jumping ahead 10-2 in the early stages.  The Cadets attempted to rally midway through the frame, using a three-point swing fueled by a kill and service ace from Isabella Vasapolli (Pepperell, Mass.) and a block from Charlotte Johnson (Moultonborough, N.H.) to pull within 17-12.  The Blue Jays, however, regained control and evened the match with a strong finishing sequence.

The third frame saw the Blue Jays again take the early edge, building a 14-7 lead before another gritty Cadet rally closed the gap to 15-14.  Grace Davie (Lynnfield, Mass.) continued to pace the offense, while Parkhurst and Cameryn Jenkins (Monroe, Mich.) kept rallies alive with sharp defensive coverage.  Despite pulling within one, Norwich could not fully close the deficit, as Saint Joseph capitalized on late points to take a 2-1 advantage.

Norwich's closest battle came in the fourth.  A service error, a setting miscue from Saint Joseph, and a service ace from Kelsey Slane (West Sand Lake, N.Y.) kept the Cadets close in the early going, pulling within 8-7.  The Blue Jays then rattled off a four-point run to stretch the lead, but Norwich refused to fade.  A series of back-and-forth possessions kept the set in reach, but the Cadets could not overtake the Blue Jays, who used key swings at the net to close out the match.

Parkhurst posted a 22-assist and 15-dig double-double, while Davie delivered a team-high 10 kills and four service aces.  Slane and Jenkins added 13 and 12 digs, respectively.

Norwich returned to the floor immediately for the afternoon's match against the host Pride, who entered after a four-set win over Saint Joseph earlier in the morning.  Regis carried that momentum into the day's finale, claiming a 3-0 sweep over Norwich (9-25, 18-25, 8-25) despite continued effort and energy from the Cadets.

The Pride jumped ahead early in the first set with a 14-4 run and never relinquished control.  The Cadets found their footing in the second set, erasing a 6-2 deficit and pulling even at 7-7 after strong defensive play and timely swings at the net.  Regis responded with five unanswered points to force a Norwich timeout.  Despite a brief regrouping, the Pride extended the lead to 21-10 before the Cadets mounted their best stretch of the match.

A run fueled by Regis errors, kills from Johnson and Jenkins, a Vasapolli block, and a Parkhurst service ace allowed Norwich to trim the margin to 24-18.  But a final Regis kill shut the door, sealing the second set.  The third mirrored the opener, as Regis opened on a 13-3 run and never looked back, closing out the match.

Offensively, Davie, Jenkins, and Johnson each recorded three kills, while Davie and Jenkins shared the team lead with six digs.  Parkhurst added eight assists.

The Cadets will return home on Friday, Oct. 3, hosting Elms College in the program's annual Dig Pink Game at Andrews Hall.  In partnership with The Side-Out Foundation, the event will raise awareness and support for patients with metastatic breast cancer.  First serve is set for 6:00 p.m. as part of Norwich's Parents & Family Weekend.