ST. GEORGE, Utah. – Winners of their last 12 sets, the Regis University volleyball team (18-9, 13-4 RMAC) traveled to the home of the Dixie State University Trailblazers (20-4, 15-2 RMAC) for a battle between two of the top-four squads in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) standings. In the end, the Trailblazers defense prevailed over the Rangers in five sets.
 
How It Happened:Regis made it 13-straight set wins as they took set one from Dixie State, 25-20. Neither team had a particularly high attack percentage, but it was the Rangers who edged out the Trailblazers .143 to .122 in the opening set. One of the more lop-sided statistics of the first set favored DSU as they recorded seven blocks in the first set, but it was not enough to top RU. 
 
The second set featured a fairly close contest despite a lackluster hitting performance from Regis who only managed to swing .167 in the second frame. The Trailblazers punished the ball at a .345 clip as the home team snapped the Rangers' 13-set win streak to tie the match at one set apiece. DSU came away with the 25-21 win, setting up a critical set three for each team. 
 
RU flipped the script in the third set, holding the Trailblazers to a .188 hitting percentage, while Regis unloaded for a strong .375 clip on their side. This resulted in a successful set for the Rangers who found themselves down by three, 10-7, midway through the set. A5-0 run from RU gave them a 12-10 lead, and the team never looked back, forcing two Trailblazer timeouts as they jumped out to a 19-11 lead. Regis took the 2-1 set lead with a 25-20 win in set three. 
 
With a chance to put the match away in the fourth set, the Rangers met a strong force with DSU who knew they needed a win to keep the match going. The home team fought hard to tie the set at two apiece, and that is exactly what they did with a 25-19 win in set four. 
 
The two powerhouse squads put on a show through four sets, and that would continue into the fifth and final set. After RU opened up a 6-4 lead, the Trailblazers went off for four-straight points to take a 9-6 lead. Regis fought back to tie the set 9-9, but the DSU defense was too much as the Ranger offense was shut down at the end of set five, leading to a 15-11 set win for Dixie State.
 
 
Game Notes:Junior Izzy Gosar led the attack with 16 kills and a .414 hitting percentage. Junior Kelsey Green recorded 14 kills, with junior Nikki Kennedy and sophomore Caitlyn Burroway tallying 11 kills apiece. Freshman Kate Kleinschmidt was the only other player to register a kill for RU, adding eight on the night. Burroway had a team-high 18 digs and junior Silvia Basso had assists on 53 kills. Kennedy led the way defensively with four total blocks. Regis was outhit .228 to .151 percentage-wise on the night. 
 
 
Up Next for the Rangers:The Regis volleyball team will close out their regular season on the road as they face the Cougars of Colorado Christian University next Friday at 7 p.m. in Lakewood, Colo.