THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran women's volleyball (13-4, 6-3 SCIAC) hosted #19 CMS (13-5, 7-2 SCIAC) on Tuesday evening in a battle for second place in the SCIAC standings. The Regals were able to take the ranked Athenas to five sets on the road back in late September and were looking for revenge in Gilbert Arena. However, CMS was able to slightly edge Cal Lutheran in all three sets, 25-23, 25-23, 25-22.

The opening set was back-and-forth with four lead changes, and CMS opened with an early 6-2 lead. Cal Lutheran fought back to take its first lead of the match at 10-9 after the first of Kaylee Clayton's 13 kills. The Athenas quickly retook the lead at 13-11, but a Tarin Rueckert kill made it a 15-14 Regals advantage. Rueckert managed another kill shortly after to put Cal Lutheran up 22-19, but CMS would then catch fire, winning the next five points and eventually taking the set 25-23.

The Athenas kept their momentum early in the second set, opening up a 6-1 advantage. The Regals stayed within striking distance for the length of the set, finally tying the score for the first time at 20 apiece on a Clayton kill. Another Clayton kill followed by a CMS attack error brought Cal Lutheran its first lead during the second set, 22-21. But, similar to set one, the Athenas took the ensuing three points and rode that to another 25-23 set victory.

In set three, CMS once again gained an early lead at 6-0 and quickly extended it to 13-4. The feisty Regals showed tenacity, stringing together a three-point run, and five-point run, and another three-point run to cut the deficit to 15-17. Olivia Fernandes registered two kills in those runs, and Kylee Grimm contributed four assists and a service ace.

A kill on a dump from Grimm, two Clayton kills, another Fernandes kill, a service ace from Keegan Corley, a kill by Alex Hayes, and a block from Hayes and Fernandes suddenly tied the match at 22 after Cal Lutheran had been down by as many as nine points earlier in the set. Again, 19th-ranked CMS found another gear late and powered through for a 25-22 set win to seal the match.

Clayton led the team with 13 kills and added an assist and 16 digs. Aby Tibesar recorded six kills (.333%) without an error. Rueckert compiled six kills and a block.

Setters Grimm and Makenna Kawamura had an even 16 assists each, while Grimm added a service ace and six digs, while Kawamura totaled nine digs.

Corley had a great defensive performance with 25 digs in just three sets, adding two assists.

Cal Lutheran will look to get back in the win column on the road at Caltech on Saturday evening.