THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Cal Lutheran women's volleyball (11-3, 4-2 SCIAC) defended its home court Friday night, earning a 3-1 win over Chapman (7-8, 2-4 SCIAC) inside Gilbert Arena.
The Regals started strong, taking the opening set 25-22 after back-and-forth rallies. Key kills from
Kaylee Clayton and
Tarin Rueckert helped Cal Lutheran close out the frame in front of an energized home crowd.
Cal Lutheran carried that momentum into the second set, dominating from start to finish for a 25-12 win. The Regals' offense found its rhythm, as
Kennedy Smith,
Emily Ford, and
Reese Balagot delivered timely kills while setters
Kylee Grimm and
Makenna Kawamura directed an attack that kept the Panthers' defense guessing.
Chapman answered in the third, capitalizing on a series of Cal Lutheran errors to take the set 25-21 and cut the match deficit to 2-1.
However, Cal Lutheran came out sharp in the fourth set, building momentum behind early kills from Clayton and Rueckert. The Regals continued to apply pressure as Smith found her rhythm at the net, recording multiple kills to extend the lead. Rueckert closed the dominant frame with a service ace, sealing a 25–11 set win to close out the match.
Cal Lutheran's offense was sharp, recording 57 kills with an impressive .250 hitting percentage compared to Chapman's 36 kills at .092. The Regals also tallied 54 assists and seven service aces, highlighting efficient ball movement and strong pressure from the service line.
Cal Lutheran will look to keep its momentum going tomorrow evening when it travels to Whittier for another conference matchup.
