THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Cal Lutheran women's volleyball (18-7, 11-5 SCIAC) hosted Redlands (15-10, 8-8 SCIAC) on Tuesday night for the opening round of the 2025 SCIAC Tournament. With a spot in the semifinals on the line, the matchup proved to be a thrilling five-set battle filled with momentum swings, long rallies, and a packed home crowd that fueled the Regals from start to finish.
Cal Lutheran opened the match with energy, jumping out to four-straight points behind a service ace from
Makenna Kawamura and kills from
Tarin Rueckert and
Kaylee Clayton. The teams went back and forth through the middle of the set, with strong swings from
Madeline Magnani keeping the Regals close. However, Redlands capitalized on late Cal Lutheran attack errors and closed the frame on a 5-1 run to take the first set, 25-18.
Cal Lutheran bounced back in the second, taking an early lead and maintaining control throughout. Clayton and Magnani continued to find open spots on the court, keeping the Regals in rhythm. Redlands made a late push, but
Kennedy Smith put away the final kill to seal the 25-20 win and even the match at one set apiece.
The Regals carried that momentum into the third set, once again controlling the tempo. After trading points early, Cal Lutheran broke away on a four-point run behind Clayton's serving. Later in the frame, Kawamura sparked another surge at the line, leading a 5-0 run that included back-to-back kills from
Olivia Fernandes. The Regals closed out the set 25-16 to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
The fourth set was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading leads in a tightly contested frame. Cal Lutheran kept pace throughout, but Redlands gained momentum late with a short scoring run to close out the set 25-23, forcing a decisive fifth.
The final set delivered all the drama expected from playoff volleyball. After a tight start, Redlands pulled ahead 14-6 and seemed poised to close things out. Cal Lutheran refused to back down, responding with a thrilling 7-0 run fueled by clutch kills from Clayton and Magnani and sharp serving from Rueckert. The Regals fed off the roaring crowd, with the energy inside Gilbert Arena reaching a fever pitch as they closed the gap to 14-13. Despite the furious comeback, Redlands managed to convert on match point to edge out the Regals 15-13 and take the hard-fought match.
Despite the loss, Cal Lutheran showed tremendous heart and resilience in its postseason appearance, pushing Redlands to the limit in a true five-set thriller. The Regals close out their season with pride, carrying forward a foundation of teamwork and determination as they look ahead to another strong season next year.
