NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University women's volleyball team encountered a pair of setbacks in their home opener in Andrews Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon, first falling to Regis College in the Cadets' Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener, 3-0 (15-25, 9-25, 23-25), before dropping a non-conference bout to the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, 3-1 (19-25, 16-25, 25-21, 13-25), to close the day's affairs.

The Cadets overcame a slow start against the Pride, falling behind early by three before rallying to knot the frame at 4-all before trailing by just a few points.  Regis began to generate momentum and embark on a run, however, capturing the first set before claiming a dominant 16-4 lead halfway through the second frame.

Norwich began to string together an assortment of runs in the tail-end of the second, which carried over into the third stanza as the hosts overcame a 6-4 hole behind six-straight points to take a 9-6 advantage over the Pride.  Norwich fought valiantly to keep Regis at bay, clinging on to a 20-19 edge before the Pride reclaimed the lead.  The Cadets remained within one on a handful of instances, but could not overcome the final hump to force a fourth set as Regis captured the win.

Bella Belldina Ray (Martinsburg, W.Va.) was the dominant force on the hardwood against Regis, tallying a team-high seven kills.  Ava Nihill (Marshfield, Mass.) handed out seven helpers, while Katie Finn (Peru, N.Y.) was responsible for eight digs.

Norwich faced a similar challenge against MCLA, mounting a fierce comeback in the early set to whittle an 11-point gap down to five in the first set before nearly overcoming a 16-point deficit in the second frame.  The Cadet onslaught came in the third set, courtesy of an early 5-1 lead.  The Trailblazers eventually took the lead on a few occasions, but could not hold on as Norwich broke a 20-all deadlock on a 5-1 spurt to secure the third set.  MCLA proved victorious in the fourth set, however, despite an early Norwich lead, fighting past Norwich's 11-8 advantage to seal the deal.

Belldina Ray again paced Norwich offensively, racking up another seven kills while Lillie Ells (Centerville, Mass.) tallied five.  Cameryn Jenkins (Monroe, Mich.) led Norwich in digs with 17, with Ells and Finn also supplying 15 and 10 digs, respectively.  Nihill and Autumn Parkhurst (Parish, N.Y.) dished out 10 assists apiece.

The Cadets will step out of conference play again for a non-conference battle, this time traveling to Plattsburgh State on Tuesday, Sept. 17, for a 6:00 p.m. clash.  Norwich will then return to GNAC play on Friday, Sept. 20, hosting the University of Saint Joseph as part of the weekend's Homecoming Weekend festivities.