ST. PAUL, Minn. – Cal Lutheran women's volleyball closed out the KTIS Classic with a 3-0 loss to tournament host University of Northwestern (Minn.) on Saturday morning, falling 25-19, 26-24, 25-10 at the Ericksen Center.
Cal Lutheran finished with 41 kills and hit .167 as a team, while UNW hit .373 and held a 9-2 advantage in blocks. The Regals also recorded 42 digs to the Eagles' 41.
Cienna Alvarez led Cal Lutheran with eight kills, while
Madeline Magnani added seven kills and hit .400.
Kaylee Clayton and
Aby Tibesar each contributed six kills, with Tibesar adding a team-high two blocks.
Makenna Kawamura and
Kimmy Wilson directed the offense with 19 and 18 assists, respectively, and
Keegan Corley anchored the defense with a team-high 14 digs.
UNW jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first set and later used a five-point run to build a 14-6 advantage. The Regals responded late, putting together four consecutive points on kills from Magnani,
Emily Ford and Alvarez to cut into the deficit, but the Eagles closed out the set 25-19 to take an early lead.
The second set featured a back-and-forth battle with neither team able to gain much separation. The teams remained tied at 20-all before the Eagles pulled ahead late.
Cal Lutheran continued to fight, with
Kennedy Smith, Clayton and Magnani recording kills to keep the Regals within striking distance. The Eagles answered with a block and a kill to take the set 26-24 and move within one set of the sweep.
UNW carried its momentum into the third set, opening with another 6-1 run before using a five-point stretch in the middle of the set to take an 18-8 lead. The Eagles hit .636 in the final frame and closed the match with five straight points to complete the sweep.
The Regals return home next weekend, opening with an exhibition match against NAIA opponent Simpson University on Thursday, September 17, before hosting the 19th annual Cal Lu Fornia Invitational September 18-19 inside the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center. Cal Lutheran will face Schreiner, Hardin-Simmons and UC Santa Cruz during the tournament.
