HAYS, Kan. – The Regis University Volleyball team concluded their opening weekend at the Fort Hays State Tiger Classic in the Gross Memorial Coliseum on Saturday with a 2-3 (27-25, 19-25, 16-25, 25-22, 13-15) loss to Truman State (Mo.) and a 0-3 (17-25, 20-25, 15-15) loss against Midwestern State (Texas). The Rangers move to 1-3 on the season, while the Bulldogs climb to 1-3 and the Mustangs improve to 2-1.
VS TSU
Nicole Shaver opened the game with a service ace, while Morgan Munro put down a solo block. A spread out attack from Kailyn Polzin, Alayna Pruitt, Kendal Allaire, and Jacie Kaniho helped Regis build an early lead, but the Bulldogs responded with a 7-1 run to take the 13-10 advantage. Munro ended the run with a Callie Parker-assisted block, and recorded two kills, while a Polzin kill and block assist gave the lead back to RU. With the match tied at 21-21, Shaver posted another ace, and Polzin ended the set with a back-to-back kill and ace, 27-25.
Strong service by Aaliyah Rodrakkwan and Munro put Regis ahead early, but after a Kaniho-Allaire block, Truman put together another run that gave them the 19-12 lead. Sabrina Landman's kill and Krissy Brei's ace tried to spark a run, but it came too late as TSU won, 25-19.
Rodrakkwan aced the opening serve of the third, but Truman would build the first lead. Allaire's kills and Parker-assisted block helped bring the match within one, but the Bulldogs pulled away again. Lauryn Uyemura added an ace to the team total, but TSU cruised to the 25-16 win in the third.
Cady Knight and Shaver produced aces in the fourth, but Truman still built a 12-7 lead. Pruitt and Allaire assisted a block to end the run, and start their own, bringing the score within a point. Landman's kill started a new run that included aces from Shaver and Rodrakkwan and a Munro-Parker block. The Rangers did not let up from there, and Landman sent it to five with a kill, 25-22.
Despite kills from Landman to start the final set, TSU took an early 11-4 lead. But a variety of Bulldog errors, along with a Uyemura ace, allowed the Rangers back into striking distance. Pruitt put down a kill, and Knight aced a serve to bring the score 10 13-14, but Truman would win on the next volley.
GAME NOTES
· Allaire and Landman both recorded 13 kills on over .380 hitting splits
· Maddie Lynett dished 23 serves while Shaver added 21
· Three Rangers had double-digit digs, led by Knight with 18
· Allaire totaled six block assists
· Regis had 17 aces, led by Shaver and Uyemura with four apiece
· Laci Neece had 22 kills on .413 hitting for Truman
VS MSU
Midwestern jumped out to a quick lead in the opening frame, but Mustang errors along with Parker and Polzin kills gave RU the 10-8 advantage. However, from there MSU produced a huge run, interrupted only by an error and Landman kill, that put them in control, 21-12. A kill by Polzin and ace by Uyemura came too late, and Midwestern won, 25-17.
While the Mustangs built another early lead in the second, Regis was again able to battle back, behind a Knight ace, and Landman and Munro kills. Lynett's ace brought the score to 14-15, but MSU was able to hold on to their lead, and even after a late Polzin kill and Rodrakkwan ace, RU fell, 20-25.
Trailing by five early Parker and Allaire cut into the deficit with their kills, and Brei aced another serve. Munro and Allaire paced the Rangers' offense as the teams traded blows, but the Mustangs used a 7-0 run to take a commanding lead. Munro added two late kills, but MSU won, 25-15.
GAME NOTES
· Munro led the Rangers with eight kills on .571 hitting
· Shaver recorded 15 assists
· Five different Rangers aced a serve
· Knight had 11 digs
· Isabella Dickens hit .630 with 18 kills for Midwestern
UP NEXT
The Rangers play their home opener against Fort Hays State on Wednesday, September 2 at 5 pm before hosting the Colorado Premier Challenge September 4-5.
