Box Score DENVER, Colo. – The Regis University volleyball team upset the No. 16 Colorado School of Mines Orediggers 3-2 in a non-conference match, Tuesday evening.
The Rangers outlasted the Orediggers holding the No. 1 offense in the league to just a .186 attack percentage while outhitting Mines 62-54. Regis was firing on all cylinders climbing back from being down 2-1.
RU came out hot at the start of the match proving most efficient in the first set putting down 16 kills while committing just one error and hitting at a clip of .536. At 15-11, Colorado Mines was forced to use a timeout in an attempt to slow down the RU hitters. The Rangers stayed hot and closed out the first set 25-15 to take a 1-0 match lead.
The Orediggers flipped the script and controlled play throughout the second set to even the overall score with a 25-16 win. RU regrouped at the beginning of the third set to hold a 4-1 early lead but CSM began clawing their way back into it. Mines fought back to control an 18-15 lead and ultimately closed out the third set 25-21 to go ahead in the match 2-1.
After a less offensively productive second and third sets RU found their rhythm again in the fourth set. Both teams went point-for-point exchanging sideouts when the Rangers rattled off four in a row to force an Oredigger timeout. Regis held a 19-14 lead and used that momentum to carry them to a 25-19 fourth set win.
The Rangers were resilient in the fifth set falling behind 6-3 to CSM. As excitement surrounded every point, huge kills from
Katie Klein and
Maggie Steward tied the score at 7-7. After the mid-set switch, Mines pushed the lead out to 11-9 but RU, yet again, fought back tying the score at 11-11. That teeter-totter would happen one more time as the Rangers fell behind but evened the score up at 13-13.
With match-point on the line, Klein hammered down her 14
th kill of the match to even the score for the final time at 14-14. Steward ignited RU with a big kill to give Regis match-point and the Rangers prevailed on a final attack error from Mines.
Steward led both teams on the night producing her first double-double with a season-high 20 kills, just two shy of her career-high, and 15 digs. Steward also recorded a .340 hitting percentage and added two service aces. Klein, too, had a double-double chipping in with ten digs and 14 kills.
Kelsey Green had a career night putting down 19 kills, eight of which came in the first set and hitting at a clip of .444.
Kristina Schell also had a career night keeping many plays alive in crucial moments of the game tallying 18 digs.
Silvia Basso added 14 digs of her own and assisted on 39 points.
The Rangers will travel to Black Hills State Friday, October 7 and to South Dakota Mines on Saturday, October 8. The match on Friday is set to start at 7 p.m. and on Saturday at 3 p.m.
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