The University of Redlands volleyball team took to the road tonight for the third time this season and earned a solid three-set victory over regional rival Chapman University, 25-20, 25-16, 28-26.

Led by a well-balanced attack that saw five players take at least 22 swings at the ball, the Bulldogs played more consistently while taking advantage of the Panthers’ mistakes.

Down by one at 15-16 in the opening set, Redlands gained its next three points off of hitting errors by Chapman. The Bulldogs stretched their lead to four by winning the next three points as senior outside hitter Ali Massei (San Carlos, CA) put away her attack, senior setter Kelina Smith (Kurtistown, HI) earned a service ace, and junior middle blocker Megan Phillips (Vista, CA) crushed a kill. An additional error by the Panthers gave Redlands a 21-16 lead and the Bulldogs never looked back.

In the second set, it was much of the same as Redlands jumped out to 7-4 lead with Phillips serving six consecutive times. Massei, Phillips and junior right side hitter Katy Douglass (Roseville, CA) led the offense, accounting for all but one of the team’s kills during that set. Smith also rattled off seven straight serves to put the Bulldogs up by a score of 18-11. The Maroon and Gray remained in control en route to the 25-16 victory.

Chapman rebounded in the third, testing the Bulldogs’ ability to finish in straight sets. After a back-and-forth battle, Redlands held a slight advantage at 7-6, but a kill by sophomore middle blocker Emily Capozzoli (Poway, CA) put the team up by two. Junior outside hitter Jackie Hamilton (Loma Linda, CA) served out the next six points for the Bulldogs. The Panthers inched their way back into the match by reducing their errors and earning more points than in the previous two sets. Despite a tied score at 19, 21, and 24, Redlands never relinquished the lead. The teams traded errors during the final points and then Capozzoli slammed the winning shot down to earn the 28-26 victory for the Bulldogs.

On the night, Capozzoli led the Redlands offense with nine kills on 24 attempts for a hitting percentage of .333. Phillips added eight kills, while Douglass, Massei, and Hamilton supplied seven apiece. Smith dished out 31 assists and senior libero Lauren Harding (Altadena, CA) provided a match-high 36 digs.

Redlands (3-2) looks forward to playing in its first and second home matches of the season on Thursday. The Bulldogs face off against the Cyclones of Mills College at 4 p.m., followed by a 7:30 p.m. match against La Sierra University at 7:30 p.m.