DENVER – In a rematch of their non-conference meeting from earlier this season, the No. 21 ranked Regis University volleyball team and the No. 4 ranked Metropolitan State University of Denver Roadrunners squared off in a top-25 battle between two teams representing the Denver Metropolitan Area.
 
Unfortunately for Regis, the match ended the same way that the match ended for them in the first meeting, a 3-1 defeat at the hands of MSU Denver.
 
How it Happened: Sets one and two were very different from one another for the visiting Roadrunners who punished the Rangers with a .417 hitting percentage in the opening frame, taking the first set 25-16. MSU Denver tallied 17 kills while RU managed only 12 with a .149 hitting percentage.
 
In set two, the Regis defense clamped down a bit as they dropped the Roadrunners to a .000 hitting percentage, blocking two attacks at the net and springing for nearly ever shot sent their way. The Rangers also boosted their own hitting percentage to .167 with nine kills in 30 attempts. Second set went to the home team, 25-17.
 
The final two sets did not go as planned for RU. In the critical third set, both teams knew that the team that won that set would carry the momentum forward in the match. Knowing that, the teams scrapped hard and Regis scored the first three points of the set.  A kill and an attack error from the Rangers put the visitors right back in it. The lead grew to five on a kill from sophomore setter Mara LeGrand who took a pass and scored on a dump shot to put RU ahead 7-2. MSU Denver took their first lead 18-17 and never really looked back as they stormed away with the set, 25-19.
 
The momentum carried into the fourth and final set where the home team never could get going. Trailing 19-11 Regis fought back to bring the deficit to only six, 18-24, but it was too late and they Roadrunners closed out the set 25-18 with a kill on the following play.
 
Game Notes: it was a rough night statistically for the team who only managed to swing .116 through four sets, accounting for 42 kills. One standout on the night was sophomore middle blocker, Ayala Plummer, who tallied a season-high 13 kills and hit .333 in the match. Additionally, LeGrand narrowly missed a double-double as she posted 33 assists and nine digs, also adding four kills and a .444 attack percentage. Sophomore Haley Kennedy (22), senior outside hitter Caitlyn Burroway (18) each posted the two-highest dig totals in the match. Junior Rachel Siurek had five blocks on the night, sophomore Londyn Johnson added three and Plummer had two, but the MSU Denver block was too strong as they accounted for 16 total block to only eight for the Rangers.
 
Up Next for the Rangers: This was the regular season finale for the No. 21 ranked Regis University volleyball team, but the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Volleyball Tournament is right around the corner. RU will look to see where their Rating Percentage Index (RPI) positions them for seeding in the upcoming RMAC Tournament.