THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Cal Lutheran women's volleyball fell to St. Thomas (Tex.) 3-1 before bouncing back against the University of Texas-Dallas 3-0 on Saturday.
It was day two of the team hosting the 14th Cal Lu Fornia Invitational, one of the toughest Division III tournaments in the country. The competitiveness of the tournament showed itself as the Regals finished the invite 1-2, but they didn't go down without a battle.
Cal Lutheran 1, vs. St. Thomas (Tex.) 3 – 23-25, 10-25, 32-30, 23-25
The Regals attempt at a late comeback was quickly put to bed as the St. Thomas (Tex.) Celts bent but did not break, and they took the match over the Regals, three sets to one.
Throughout the first set, the two teams continued to exchange blows in a back-and-forth fashion. With the Regals on the verge of taking the first match, the Celts quickly answered by scoring five unanswered points to take set one. They carried that momentum into the second set and took a 2-0 match lead.
With the Regals holding a steady lead throughout the third set, the Celts fought back and tied it up late, putting the Regals on the verge of getting swept for the fourth time in as many days. The back-and-forth fashion continued when the Celts took the lead six separate times. The Regals finally had enough and scored three unanswered points to win the match 32-30.
For the fourth straight set, the Regals scored the first point – but the Celts continued their swift response and didn't trail once the rest of the match, winning by a score of 25-23.
Amy Buffini and
Tess Holbert both recorded a double-double. Am. Buffini had 12 kills, 16 digs, and a season-high three aces.
Tess Holbert had 25 assists, 11 digs, and a season-high seven kills.
Tarin Rueckert was another bright spot with a total of 12 kills.
Cal Lutheran 3, vs. University of Texas-Dallas 0 – 25-18, 25-21, 25-21
The Regals bounced back by capping off their final Cal Lu Fornia Invitational match with a commanding sweep over the University of Texas-Dallas Comets.
The Regals took the lead early in the first set and never looked back, stretching their lead to eight points on multiple occasions and taking the first set by a score of 25-18.
The first set was highlighted by
Caitlin Murphy and
Sadie Peete's three kills each, along with Peete's two aces. As a team, the Regals had a .360 hitting percentage in the first set and finished the match with a .291 percentage, a season-high.
In the second set, the Comets put up more of a fight, holding a five-point. The Regals, however, kept their foot on the gas and went on an 8-1 run at the end of the set to win 25-21.
Peete quickly added another kill at the start of the third set, a precursor of what would result in eight more kills in the third set alone. She finished the match with a career-high 14 kills and 16.5 points that helped secure a 25-21 win in the third match.
Am. Buffini recorded her second double-double in six hours with ten kills and 18 digs.
Alysha Buffini finished the match with 17 digs, while Holbert finished with a season-high 37 assists.
It was the Regals first sweep of the year. The Regals move to 2-8 on the season and look to start a winning streak on Tuesday when they begin conference play at Redlands at 4 p.m.
