THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran women's volleyball continued its dominant run through SCIAC play Saturday afternoon, sweeping Pomona-Pitzer (25-18, 26-24, 25-19) inside Gilbert Arena to remain undefeated in conference action.
The Regals (8-6, 4-0 SCIAC) earned their fourth straight victory and third consecutive sweep, marking their best start to SCIAC play since the 2015 national championship season. Cal Lutheran controlled the match offensively, recording 52 kills while limiting the Sagehens (7-9, 1-3 SCIAC) to just 20 kills and a .075 hitting percentage.
Tarin Rueckert led the way with 13 kills while hitting an impressive .435, while
Emily Ford and
Kennedy Smith added 10 kills apiece. Ford also led the Regals at the net with four blocks as Cal Lutheran continued to build momentum against its conference foe.
The Regals set the tone early in the opening set, building an early lead behind kills from Ford and Smith. After Pomona-Pitzer tied the score at 6-6, Cal Lutheran responded with four consecutive kills to regain control. The Regals continued to pull away, using a six-point run fueled by kills from
Aby Tibesar and three straight from Ford to reach set point. The Sagehens fought off three chances, but
Cienna Alvarez delivered the final kill to secure a 25-18 victory.
Cal Lutheran carried that momentum into the second set, racing out to a 6-1 lead behind three early kills from Smith. The Sagehens battled back, eventually tying the score at 16 and again at 18, but the Regals answered with a 6-2 run to move within one point of taking a commanding 2-0 lead.
Pomona-Pitzer refused to go away, scoring four straight points to force extras. However, the Regals stayed composed under pressure. Rueckert delivered a clutch kill before a Sagehens error sealed the 26-24 win and put Cal Lutheran one set away from the sweep.
The Sagehens showed their fight again in the third set, overcoming an early deficit with a seven-point run to take a four-point lead. Cal Lutheran responded, chipping away before a five-point run featuring kills from Ford, Smith and
Kaylee Clayton, along with a service ace from
Keegan Corley, swung the momentum back to the Purple & Gold.
The teams traded points down the stretch, with Cal Lutheran holding a narrow 19-18 advantage before delivering the decisive blow. The Regals closed the match on a 6-1 run, highlighted by a Clayton ace and kills from Rueckert and Ford, to finish off the 25-19 set victory and complete the sweep.
Rueckert's 13 kills led all players, while Ford and Smith contributed 10 apiece. Tibesar and
Reese Balagot added seven kills each as the Regals spread the offensive production across the lineup. Cal Lutheran hit .223 as a team, more than doubling Pomona-Pitzer's kill total.
Corley anchored the defense with a match-high 29 digs and added a career-high 10 assists.
Makenna Kawamura contributed 19 assists and 15 digs, while
Kimmy Wilson added 17 assists and five digs to help guide the Regals' balanced attack.
With the victory, Cal Lutheran improves to 4-0 in SCIAC play and looks to extend its winning streak on the road Tuesday evening.
Cal Lutheran travels to Occidental on Tuesday, October 6, for a 7 p.m. match before returning home Saturday, October 10, to host the 2025 national runner-up La Verne inside Gilbert Arena.
