SAN DIEGO – The final day of the Seaside Invitational for the No. 22 ranked Regis University volleyball team ended on a positive note as Regis defeated the California State University, Los Angeles in a five-set thriller.
 
How It Happened: One match removed from a heart wrenching five set defeat the previous evening, the Rangers were able to close out the tournament with a five-set win of their own. The match traded momentum as each team traded set wins through the first four.
 
RU won set one 25-23 despite being outhit .290 to .179. Regis owned a five-point lead early in the set, which grew to a lead as big as seven when a service ace from graduate student Sophie Griese found the floor to put the Rangers in front 19-12. A late 5-0 run from Cal State LA helped the Golden Eagles tie the set at 23 points apiece, but a kill from graduate student Caitlyn Burroway followed by a block from senior Rachel Siurek and junior Nadin Burbrink closed out the set 25-23 for RU.
 
Regis dropped set two 25-22 to Cal State LA, once again enduring a deficit in the hitting percentage category .250 - .176. However, in the third set, the Rangers finally found their groove offensively, tuning their hitting percentage to .400, their highest of the season to that point. RU had 14 kills and only four attacking errors in 25 attempts. This led into a fourth set that left much to be desired offensively as the efficiency on swings dipped back down to .080. Regis won set three 25-23, and lost set four 25-15 which forced a fifth set in the match
 
Determined not to leave the tournament with a bitter taste in their mouths, the Rangers put together one of their best sets of the season. Trailing 8-5 near the middle of the set, sophomore Halle Theis combined with junior setter Mara LeGrand to put away her kill. Immediately after the kill, junior Anna Allsberry aced her serve. Back-to-back attack errors from the Golden Eagles gave RU a 9-8 lead. The score moved to a deadlock at 12 points, and that was when the determination shined through for Regis. Burroway slammed home an attack and Siurek and Burbrink combined for a kill to set up match point. An out of system play led to junior Haley Kennedy setting up Burroway for the match ending swing which found the floor on the Cal State LA side of the court, capping off a 3-0 run and cementing a 15-12 fifth set win for the Rangers.    
 
Game Notes: Burroway finished with a team-high 15 kills (.237%) in the match, adding 12 digs for her second-straight double-double. Theis matched her season-high with 11 kills (.214%) and Burbrink reached double-figures for the first time this season with 10 kills. Sophomore Maddy Mallory led RU with a .500 hitting percentage behind eight kills and only one error. Mallory and Siurek were the team leaders with three block assists in the match. In total, Regis hit .226, reducing their errors by nearly 50 percent from their last game. LeGrand recorded 42 assists and a team-high 17 digs in the match while Kennedy chipped in with 15 digs of her own. Freshman Bre Skala contributed 10 digs in a match for the second-straight game.

Up Next for the Rangers: The No. 22 ranked Regis University volleyball team have made it through their first weekend of the season, but in front of them lies an even tougher challenge as they get set to host the Colorado Premier Challenge on September 10-11. Matches begin on the morning of Friday, September 10 when a remarkable field of opponents make their way to Denver, Colorado for one of the most competitive tournaments across Division II.