DENVER - The No. 5 seeded Regis University Rangers (20-8,15-3 RMAC) capped an incredible 2021 campaign by facing the No. 4 seeded and nationally ranked Angelo State University Belles (24-4 - 16-1 Lone Star) in the opening round of the 2021 Division II National Volleyball Tournament. Members of the South Central region, the two teams had previously met in the preseason at the Colorado Premier Challenge on Sept. 11. The Belles won that match in three sets. Tonight though, the match was far more competitive as five sets were needed to send a team to the second round. After a long and intense battle, Regis fell to Angelo with set scores of 23-25, 25-17, 25-27, 25-18 and 11-15. 

How it Happened: In the opening set, the two squads were neck-and-neck. The Belles capitalized off a .057 hitting percentage to swing the momentum their way through most of the set. However, Regis was right there with them and even went on a 7-2 run midway through the set which was capped by an attacking error from Angelo, giving RU the 18-17 lead. Junior Mara LeGrand's 34 sets, as well as four kills from senior RS Rachel Siurek, kept things interesting, but Angelo edged the Rangers 25-23 to take the first set.

In the second set, it was another close affair until a 6-2 run from Regis gave them a 13-9 lead with freshman Beatrice Manzon at the helm serving. Then a four-point swing from Regis forced the Belles to take a timeout with the score at 19-15. Following the break, three more points from Regis gave them their biggest lead of the set at 22-15. The squad easily finished off the Belles after a pair of kills from Siurek, as well as an Angelo attacking error, locking the game at 1-1.

RU took the first point of the third set when LeGrand hammered down a kill from junior Nadine Burbrink. Following that, the team found themselves down 9-5, but a timeout from Regis would quickly turn things around. Coming out of the timeout, the team raced out on a 7-0 run which in turn forced the Belles to stop the game with a timeout of their own. With momentum in Regis' favor and the team on a roll, Regis went up 14-10. However, that would spark the Belles to regain the lead, 18-5, after a 7-1 run. Angelo's .071 hitting percentage would prove difficult for RU to overcome, but RU didn't go away without a fight - the two teams kept battling at the set point, trading blow after blow. When the dust settled though, Angelo came out on top, 27-25

Down 2-1, Regis did not want to go home early. The team came out with vengeance in the fourth with their best hitting percentage of the night (30%). The Rangers took control, 14-11 after kills from graduate student Caitlyn Burroway and an Angelo attacking error, forcing the Belles to use a timeout. Later on, RU put the Belles away with the help of a 5-1 run which was highlighted by a service ace from freshman Bre Skala as well as four Regis kills. The match would be tied up at 2-2 going into the final frame.

The fifth and final set was just as competitive as the previous four. The Bells took command, 13-9, after a 6-1 run midway through the set. But an attacking error from Angelo would eventually kill the run. Regis took advantage of a kill from Siurek to cut the deficit to 13-11. However, a block from Angelo State ended the set just a couple of points later, sending them on to the next round and ending RU's tournament run. 
 
Game Notes: RU outhit the Belles (.138 - .088) and had more kills (60-53). Service errors were an issue though as Regis had 12 compared to Angelo's four. However, on the flip side, the Rangers registered seven aces while the Belles only had one.

Burroway finished her Ranger career with a double double (14 kills and 14 digs). She also led the team in points with 17.

LeGrand had a match-high in both hitting percentage (.429) and set assists (42).

Junior Haley Kennedy had a match-high 20 digs while Burbrink and sophomore Maddy Mallory combined for seven blocks. 

Graduate student Sophie Griese totaled 13 digs.

Siurek led the team in kills with 15 and had 15.5 points. 

Up Next for the Rangers: Although this loss marks the end of the road for Regis in 2021, the future remains bright for the squad in 2022. The team is returning a plethora of talent and has made some strong additions to the 2022 roster. Stay tuned to www.RegisRangers.com for all updates regarding Ranger Volleyball!