Colorado Mesa CMU 20-5,15-3 RMAC

Regis (CO) Regis 20-6,16-2 RMAC

Colorado Mesa CMU

20-5,15-3 RMAC

Final

Nov. 05, 2022

Regis (CO) Regis

20-6,16-2 RMAC

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	5	F
Colorado Mesa CMU	16	25	25	21	10	(2)
Regis (CO) Regis	25	12	13	25	15	(3)

Summary
Box Score

Billy Saunders, Regis Athletics

Game Recap: Volleyball | Nov 05 | David Wilson, Assistant AD-Communications

No. 14 Regis tops No. 15 Colorado Mesa in five-set thriller to clinch No. 2 seed in RMAC Tournament

DENVER, Colo. — With the No. 2 seed in next week's RMAC Tournament, and South Central Region seeding, all at stake Saturday, the No. 14 Regis University volleyball team rallied for a five-set victory against No. 15 Colorado Mesa University in a battle of two of the nation's best to conclude the regular season.

With the victory, the Rangers secured the No. 2 seed in the RMAC Tournament, hosted this Thursday through Saturday at top-seeded Metropolitan State University of Denver, while the loss could potential drop the Mavericks as low as the No. 4 seed depending on Saturday night's result for current No. 4 seed Colorado School of Mines. The official tournament bracket will be released Monday by the conference office.

I thought we did a good job of playing our best volleyball when it mattered the most, the end of that fourth and fifth set, we played well," said Regis head volleyball coach, Joel List. "We knew it was an important match to try and set yourself up with an easier draw in the tournament. But I think the big thing we take away most from this match is that it was a good tournament style of game that prepares us, and prepares them (Mesa), for the tournament next week."

HOW IT HAPPENED: The Rangers threw the first punch Saturday with a dominating performance in Set One, storming out to a 6-0 lead en route to a 25-16 win.

Freshman defensive specialist Kylie Stremmel served five times during that 6-0 run, picking up one ace, while the Rangers' defense was able to take away the Mavericks' middles through the opening set, limiting the CMU offense to a .036 hitting percentage.

"Colorado Mesa's middles are very productive so we were able to serve tough to get them out of system where they couldn't use their middles," List said. "Kylie did a great job and her run to start that first set was really important. We practiced all week in how we wanted to attack them as servers, so it fun to see us execute that."

The Mavericks made the adjustment and responded over the next two sets, though, claiming wins of 25-12 and 25-13 to take a 2-1 lead in the match and force the Rangers to make a change of their own.

"I think both sides were trying to figure each other out, that's why those first three sets were so lopsided," List said. "Mesa started going to their pin hitters more and they were attacking at a different area of the court. They also got some timely blocks. I challenged our hitters because we were getting some one-on-ones, but we weren't hitting around the block very well."

After posting pedestrian hitting percentages of .053 and .059, the Rangers' offense erupted in a crucial fourth set, tallying 14 kills versus just one attack error on 24 swings (.542) to win the set 25-21 and tie the match at 2-2.

Feeding off the momentum and the crowd, the Rangers put the Mavericks away with a 15-10 win in Set Five, hitting at an even .500 with 12 kills and one error on 22 attempts.

"It went back to serving for us in that fourth and fifth set. We served tough and I thought the crowd had a huge bearing on that fifth set for us," List said. "The pace was starting to slow down with two challenges that were called, but having the crowd in it and having a couple big serves, some big blocks and big kills, kept the energy up. I always tell the team, 'We need some highlight reels,' meaning plays that get energy and momentum on your side. We had all of those plays in the fifth set to create that energy."

The performance over the final two sets brought the Regis attack percentage up to .276 for the match with five different players finishing with 10 or more kills Saturday, led by graduate student right side Klaudia Sowizral and senior middle blocker Nadine Burbrink with 12 kills apiece.

Sophomore middle blocker Amelia Davis added 11 kills, while Regis pin hitters Hannah Kepler and Halle Theis finished with 11 kills and 10 kills, respectively.

Kepler led all Rangers with a .478 attack percentage, finishing with a season-high 11 kills and no errors on 23 swings.

"Having a spread offense is very crucial to winning against good teams. And sometimes, in the past, we haven't had that in losses," List said. "Hannah, I give her a lot of credit, because she really focused this week in practice. She knew she had a couple tough weeks, so for her to have 11 kills and no errors was a huge flip and helpful for the team right now at this point in the season."

Defensively, senior libero Haley Kennedy led all players with 20 digs, while sophomore defensive specialist Bre Skala and senior setter Mara LeGrand (50 assists) added eight digs apiece.

UP NEXT: The Rangers will now take aim at the RMAC Tournament championship when they get the RMAC Tournament underway with quarterfinal play Thursday, hosted by MSU Denver at Auraria Event Center.

Regis will find out who it will play in the first round on Monday when the conference announces the official tournament bracket.

"It's a fun time of year and I don't think we have to do anything to motivate the team any differently because of that. We train well and always have a process," List said. "We'll get back in the gym this week and create the process of going through a three-day tournament, which is a little different for the conference this year, but exactly like how regionals will be. We'll enjoy the win tonight, but reset and make sure we're ready to go next week."

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