THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) No. 17 Cal Lutheran women's volleyball team hosted Chapman inside the Gilbert Arena for a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) showdown tonight. While the Regals looked to snap a three-match skid, the Panthers had other plans, powering past the home squad, 3-2 (25-20, 20-25, 23-25, 25-23, 15-12) and stealing the match.
The Panthers controlled most of the first set and a late CLU surge fell short as Chapman took the first set (25-16). For the Regals, freshman libero Emma Cisneros-Luebke served an ace, while senior outside hitter Hope Stewart led the Regals with four kills and eight digs.
In the second set, the Regals took a 13-2 lead. Chapman refused to back down, though, and battled back. Fortunately, the Violet and Gold held the Panthers at bay to even the match at one game apiece with a 25-20 victory. Cisneros-Luebke, Molly Holloway and Amanda Roberts each served up an ace in the set.
Cal Lutheran controlled the first half of the third game, but the Panthers fought back make things interesting. In the end, with the help of a couple of service aces from Mikayla Dobson, the Regals won set three 25-20 to take a 2-1 match lead. Sarah Hein also added a service ace bringing the Regals total to seven in the first three games.
Set four was a point for point battle throughout the whole set. After being tied at 20, the Panthers separated themselves and forced a fifth set by stealing the fourth by a 25-23 margin. Chapman used the momentum of its fourth set into an early fifth set lead. Cal Lutheran worked to know things at 11, but the Panthers sealed the deal with a 15-12 win to steal the match.
Hein, Roberts and Stewart totaled 11 kills apiece and Jamie Smith finished with a match-high 37 assists. Dobson led all players with four service aces and Cisneros-Luebke and Hein each added two.
Defensively, Cisneros-Luebke led the way with 17 digs and Dobson tallied 11 while Roberts notched 13 to finish with a double-double. The only solo stop of the match for CLU came from Hein who added four block assists. Holloway recorded seven block assists.
Chapman (7-3, 2-0 SCIAC) was led by 17 kills apiece from Kylie Cook and Lindsey Johnson. Jessica Blum totaled 31 assists and Cook added a solo block and four block assists.
Cal Lutheran (4-7, 0-2) returns to the court, Tuesday, Sept. 19, at Pomona-Pitzer when the Regals and Sagehens serve at 7:00 p.m. inside the Voelkel Gymnasium.
Box Score: CU 3, CLU 2
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Release by Tracy L. Olson, Sports Information Director / Makenna Pellerin (Sports Information Intern)
