THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – It was a Senior Night to remember for the Cal Lutheran women's volleyball team, as the Regals celebrated six seniors, witnessed two major career milestones and swept Caltech 3-0 (25-15, 25-13, 26-24) on Saturday afternoon inside Gilbert Arena.
The Regals (13-8, 9-2 SCIAC) delivered a dominant performance in front of their home crowd, hitting .254 with 48 kills, eight service aces and 71 digs. But beyond the victory, the afternoon was filled with memorable moments for a senior class that has given so much to the program.
Before the match, Cal Lutheran honored seniors
Franki Coleman,
Aby Tibesar,
Tarin Rueckert,
Keegan Corley,
Makenna Kawamura and
Gianna Bava. The celebration only continued once play began, as Corley surpassed 1,500 career digs and Kawamura reached 1,000 career assists, marking two significant milestones on an already special afternoon.
Corley led all players with 28 digs and added two service aces, while Kawamura dished out a team-high 21 assists to go along with seven digs and an ace.
The afternoon also marked an especially meaningful return for Coleman, who took the court for the first time since 2024 after injuries sidelined her for much of her collegiate career. Having appeared in just five career matches entering Senior Night, Coleman made the most of her opportunity, playing in all three sets in front of the Cal Lu faithful.
Bava enjoyed a career night of her own, recording a career-high nine kills on an impressive .368 hitting percentage. The senior pin hitter also added two block assists in one of the strongest performances of her collegiate career.
Rueckert was nearly unstoppable offensively, leading the Regals with 12 kills on 18 attempts without a single attack error for a remarkable .667 hitting percentage. She also contributed four block assists and two service aces, finishing with a match-high 16 points.
Kennedy Smith added 11 kills while hitting .294, and
Kimmy Wilson contributed 18 assists, eight digs and a match-high three service aces.
Cal Lutheran wasted little time taking control of the opening set, racing out to a 7-1 advantage. Although Caltech battled back to even the score at 10-10, the Regals responded with a commanding 9-1 run to regain control and cruise to a 25-15 victory.
The Regals carried that momentum into the second set, pulling away from a competitive start to build an 18-8 advantage. Cal Lutheran hit a match-best .359 in the frame, recording 18 kills, and closed the set with five consecutive points, including three kills from
Olivia Fernandes, to take a convincing 25-13 win.
Caltech refused to go quietly in the third, pushing the Regals to the brink with a 24-22 lead. With the sweep on the line, Cal Lutheran delivered one final surge, scoring four unanswered points to complete the comeback. Fittingly, Rueckert helped seal the Senior Night victory with a kill and a block, securing the 26-24 win and sending the Regals into celebration.
The victory carried added significance in the SCIAC standings. With Whittier falling to Pomona-Pitzer, Cal Lutheran moved back into a tie for first place with the Poets, keeping the conference title race open as the regular season enters its final stretch.
The Regals return to Gilbert Arena on Tuesday, October 27, at 7 p.m. to host Redlands in their Breast Cancer Awareness Game. Cal Lutheran will look to build on its Senior Night momentum as it continues its push for the SCIAC regular-season title.
