DENVER, Colo. – In a battle between cross-town rivals on Friday evening, the Metropolitan State University of Denver Roadrunners came out and knocked off the No. 12 ranked Regis University Volleyball team in four sets. 
 
How It Happened: The first set of the night set the tone for the evening for what would be a rollercoaster of emotion. Trading various runs of four or more throughout the set, Regis found themselves trailing 18-16 late. However, a four-point run from the Rangers lifted them into the lead 20-16 capped off by a kill from junior Caitlyn Burroway. MSU Denver tied the score at 21 apiece, but RU dug deep and rattled off four-straight points to take the opening set 25-21. 
 
That would be the last set that would go in favor of the home side. Things began to fall for the Roadrunners in the second set. After a four-point streak by Regis, MSU Denver followed with five consecutive points of their own to take a 14-10 advantage over the Blue and Gold. The Rangers managed to tie the set at 15, but a five-point swing to the Roadrunners put RU back in a 20-15 hole. MSU Denver never looked back and won the second set 25-21 to tie the match at one set each. 
 
Set three is the set that Regis wishes they had back. The Roadrunners scored 10 points in a row to begin the set. The Rangers could not buy a point during the stretch until senior Nikki Kennedy smashed home a kill to put RU on the board. The visiting side lead by as many as 12 points, 18-6, but the final score of the set was 25-14.
 
Reeling from a rough third set, Regis was looking to get things back on track in the fourth set to hopefully force a decisive fifth set. Things looked good when the Rangers jumped out to an 11-6 lead, but before anyone knew it MSU Denver knotted things up at 14 points. RU held an advantage late, 22-21, but four-straight points from the Roadrunners brought it to match point at 24-22. Kills from redshirt-senior Kristen Hornung and senior Izzy Gosar tied the game at 24-all. Both teams scored a point to make it 25-25, and then MSU Denver closed things out with two points in a row to end the match. 
 
Game Notes: Gosar was the team-leader with 16 kills and a .262 attack percentage, not counting freshman setter Mara LeGrand who had four kills in five attempts. LeGrand tallied 32 assists on the evening. Kennedy had five blocks and seven kills in the effort, while Burroway tallied 19 digs, a team-high, and seven kills as well. Remarkably, Regis outhit the Roadrunners .167 to .163 despite losing in four sets. It was the 11 service aces that killed the Rangers who only had one service ace of their own. 
 
Up Next for the Rangers:The No. 12 Regis University Rangers will be back on the court tomorrow afternoon when they host the Chadron State College Eagles at 3 p.m. in the Regis Field House.