DENVER, Colo. – The 2019 Regis University volleyball team (29-5) had their National Championship hopes come to an end on Friday night after they battled the undefeated and top-seeded California State University, San Bernardino Coyotes (32-0) through four sets of volleyball, coming out on the losing end after all was said and done. 25-18, 25-22, 25-17, 25-17.
How It Happened: After not looking like themselves through the better part of the first set, Regis came alive towards the end of the set which helped the team open up much better in set two. The first set went to CSUSB 25-18 with RU never holding a lead in the set.
Set two was a much more familiar sight for Regis fans as the Rangers scored five of the first six points of the set. The undefeated Yotes responded and brought the set to within two-points on a few occasions, but RU continued to score. A service ace from senior
Silvia Basso prompted a timeout from CSUSB. The timeout sparked something in the Coyotes as they managed to tie the set at 20 a few points later following a kill from the National Player of the Year, Alexis Cardoza. Regis then countered with four consecutive points to bring up set point. After CSUSB got two points, the Rangers closed out the set with a thundering kill from senior
Nikki Kennedy.
The third set was a critical set for both teams, knowing that the momentum of that set would set up a potential match-clinching fourth set. After 16 points played, the set was tied at eight-all. Trailing 13-15, RU faced a series of points they would love to have back. As the lead grew to 21-14 and then 24-15, Regis was searching for any answer to the high-powered and well put together Yotes offense. The set ended 25-17 with the Coyotes taking a 2-1 set lead.
The fourth set of the night featured another slow start for Rangers who were in a quick 5-1 hole after six points. They battled back and brought it to one-point, 10-11, but CSUSB kept finding ways to sneak in points. At 15-12 RU was still only three-points behind, but that lead grew to 19-14 and 20-15 pretty quick. Although Regis was fighting for their lives, the Coyotes just could not be stopped and they took the fourth and final set from the Rangers, 25-17, ending the 2019 season for a remarkable Regis University volleyball team.
Game Notes: Though the team hit .216 on the night, RU managed to take a set from a team that had only lost 11 sets total this season. Four Regis players topped or reached 10 kills on the night including Kennedy (12, .429 ATK %), senior
Kelsey Green (12, .235 ATK %), redshirt-senior
Kristen Hornung (11, .333 ATK %) and junior
Caitlyn Burroway (10, .121 ATK %). Burroway also notched a double-double with a team-high 15 digs. Basso found her attackers for 47 assists on the evening, adding three kills, nine digs and two blocks as well. Kennedy led the Rangers with five total blocks with Hornung and Burroway adding two as well. It is no easy task going against the top-seed in the NCAA Tournament, but the team never quit and they can hold their heads high on all that they accomplished this season.
Up Next for the Rangers: So ends the 2019 Regis University volleyball season, but the legacy left behind by this tremendous group of seniors that helped guide this program to two NCAA Division II quarterfinal appearances and one semifinal appearance in the last three seasons will definitely go down in history, and will provide a road map for the younger players on this team, and all of those to follow.
