DENVER - The No. 25 ranked Regis University Rangers (20-7,15-3 RMAC) battled the ThunderWolves of Colorado State University Pueblo (20-7,13-5 RMAC) in the quarterfinal round of the 2021 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Tournament Championship, Tuesday evening. The game was an epic five-set match which kept the whole crowd at the Regis Field House on the edge of their seats. After the dust settled, Pueblo advanced to the semifinals with set scores of 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 12-25 and 15-9.
How it Happened: Junior
Nadine Burbrink registered Regis' first point, but momentum would swing the ThunderWolves' direction as they scored four-straight points to start the set. However, RU stayed within striking range the remainder of the set and even went on a 7-1 run which was spurred by a senior
Rachel Siurek kill. With RU leading 21-18, Pueblo threatened by cutting the Ranger's lead to 22-21, but graduate student
Caitlyn Burroway finished off the ThunderWolves with a kill a few points later to secure the 1-0 lead.
Pueblo opened the second set with another 4-0 run, but this time Regis had difficulties overcoming the swing. The ThunderWolves held onto a somewhat comfortable lead for most of the set and even led by as much as eight (19-11), but RU wouldn't go away quietly. With Pueblo on their set point, RU won three-straight points to make the score 22-24. But, a strong ThunderWolf kill ended the set, tying the match at 1-1.
The third set proved to be one of runs. After trailing 8-3, the Rangers rallied and took the lead midway through the set (12-11). The teeter totter of a set would feature a 19-14 Pueblo lead and then a 21-21 tie. However, the ThunderWolves would prevail, giving CSUP the 2-1 advantage. But, the Rangers would refuse to go down in four.
RU absolutely owned the fourth set as they had their best hitting percentage of the night (.292) while CSUP had their second-worst (-.067). With junior libero
Haley Kennedy at the helm serving, Regis exploded on a 12-0 run to give them a 16-2 lead. Regis handled the rest of the set with ease and tied the match back up at 2-2.
The fifth and final set was a nail biter. Regis took a 3-2 lead when Siurek hammered down a kill off an assist from junior
Mara LeGrand, but that would be their last lead in the set. Pueblo took off on a 4-0 run, taking the 6-3 advantage. From there, RU stayed close, but CSUP's .333 hitting percentage was too much to overcome. The ThunderWolves won the final set by a score of 15-9.
Game Notes: Despite losing, Regis outmatched Pueblo in points (72-66), aces (7-5), kills (55-49), assists (54-44), digs (86-63) and hitting percentage (.158-.119).
Siurek had a match-high 15 kills while Burbrink tallied eight blocks, another match-high. LeGrand totaled 45 assists and junior
Maddie Uyemura added four. Freshman
Beatrice Manzon broke her career-high in aces and digs with two apiece. Burbrink (.273) and Siurek (.268) led the team in hitting percentage.
Up Next for the Rangers: Although their RMAC Tournament run has ended, the team will tune in to the 2021 NCAA DII Selection Show to see if they land a spot in the national tournament. The show will air Monday, Nov. 22 at 5:30 p.m.
The selection show can be streamed live on NCAA.com.
