SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Fall Classic played host to a copious amount of tough competitors this weekend, including the No. 1 Cal Lutheran women's volleyball team. The Regals squared off against a trio of ranked teams, defeating No. 22 Elmhurst 3-1 before falling for the first time this season in a rematch of last year's National Championship match against No. 8 Wittenberg. CLU closed out the tournament with a tough five-set loss against No. 19 Washington-St. Louis on Saturday afternoon.
CLU def. No. 22 Elmhurst 3-1 (25-15, 17-25, 25-20, 26-24)
The Regals went into their first four-set game of the season with Elmhurst putting up a strong fight throughout the match. The first set started slow for CLU but they pushed forward with strong defense to end the set early at 25-15. The following sets were tightly contested by both teams, with CLU coming out on top. Hope Stewart led with the highest number of kills between both teams at 16 along with seven digs. Michelle Lawrence followed suit with a double-double of 10 kills and 13 digs while Sarah Pappas and Amanda Roberts tallied eight and seven kills, respectively.
CLU def. by No. 8 Wittenberg 1-3 (19-25, 29-31, 14-25, 20-25)
In a much anticipated matchup of last season's NCAA title game, Wittenberg came out strong behind a packed home gym and put CLU at a disadvantage out of the gate. The Tigers were up 10-3 before the Regals were able to close the gap slightly but never enough to get the win. The second set was much closer throughout with points being traded almost every serve. The Regals had set point three times but Wittenberg continued to push back and ended up winning 31-29. The Regals came out much stronger in the third and were able to keep their lead throughout, putting the Tigers away 25-14. Wittenberg, however, seeking redemption closed out the Regals in the fourth set 25-20. Lawrence had her second double-double of the day with 14 kills and 16 digs for the Regals. Monica Lundgren and Pappas each had nine kills while Stewart added seven kills and 12 digs. Jamie Smith had 39 assists and Nicole Tetherow held up the defensive end with 22 digs.
CLU def. by Washington (Mo.) 2-3 (22-25, 25-19, 15-25, 25-17, 7-15)
The Regals went for the long haul against Washington (Mo.) playing all five sets and falling just short of the win in the last set. CLU stepped up in the second, going on a 15-5 run to take a 19-13 advantage after trailing by four early on, to secure the set. The fifth and final set of the game was controlled by the Bears from the beginning as they put up seven points to just two for the Violet and Gold. The Regals made unlikely errors that put the set and game out of reach. Even with the loss, Stewart recorded a double-double with 11 kills and 16 digs while Tetherow also finished with 16 digs. Lawrence had 12 kills with half as many digs. Pappas, Roberts and Lundgren had nine, six and five kills, respectively, while Roberts also had 10 digs on the defensive end. Smith had 21 assists while Mikayla Dobson and Steph Rolfson had eight and seven, respectively. Dobson also started her first set of the season and helped the Regals with two service aces.
Next up: The Regals look to compete in their second Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) matchup against the Redlands Bulldogs in Currier Gymnasium Sept. 20 at 7:00 p.m.
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