For the first time in 13 meetings, the University of Redlands volleyball team defeated Cal Lutheran University, giving Head Coach Mari Burningham her inaugural victory against the Regals. The drought dated back to Oct. 25, 2003, which was prior to Burningham’s arrival at Redlands.

With tonight’s 3-0 sweep, the Bulldogs extended their current winning streak to eight matches and avenged their only Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) loss of the 2009 season.

The Maroon and Gray jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead in the opening set, igniting an already-fervent crowd in Currier Gym. Redlands was nearly flawless in the opening plays and readily took advantage of Cal Lutheran’s early errors. The Bulldogs moved ahead to hold a 9-1 advantage but the Regals fought back, closing within two points at 17-19. The teams traded points in the ensuing plays with Cal Lutheran twice handing over possession on a service error. The Bulldogs eventually held set point at 24-19 when junior defensive player Chelsea Arcaris (Vista, CA) nailed one of the team’s seven aces for the win, 25-19.

During the second set, the teams rallied back and forth, resulting in a very tight score. Redlands gained a slight lead at 19-15 but the Regals once again clawed their way back into the set, pulling within one at 22-23. The Bulldogs then looked to their offensive leader, junior outside hitter Jackie Hamilton (Loma Linda, CA), to crush a ball down the line for a well-timed kill that brought the crowd to its feet. With Redlands ahead at 24-22, Cal Lutheran won the next rally but then lost the subsequent one, resulting in the 25-23 victory for the Maroon and Gray.

The third set proved to be a true test of the Bulldogs’ composure and determination, as they faced a six-point deficit before getting on the board with a kill by sophomore middle blocker Emily Capozzoli (Poway, CA). Cal Lutheran continued to roll and built a substantial lead but Redlands refused to go away. The Bulldogs pushed through to tie the set at 16 all when senior libero Lauren Harding (Altadena, CA) sent over an ace. The Maroon and Gray earned a two-point lead at 18-16 and never relinquished control of the match. Although the Regals put up two kills, an ace, and a stuff block to trail by just one at 22-23, the Bulldogs gained yet another timely kill from Hamilton for set point. Back-to-back service errors by the teams resulted in the 25-23 victory for Redlands.

Hamilton enjoyed an outstanding night that included 14 kills and only one error for a hitting percentage of .333. She also came up with 23 digs and four block assists. In addition, Capozzoli played an instrumental role with 11 kills and five block assists. Senior setter Kelina Smith (Kurtistown, CA) distributed 32 assists and supplied 13 digs.

As a team, the Bulldogs hit .200 compared to CLU’s mark of .158. Redlands also posted eight total blocks, while the Regals tallied just four.

With the hard-fought win, Redlands remains atop the SCIAC standings with a one-match lead over second-place Pomona-Pitzer Colleges.

The Bulldogs (12-3, 7-1 SCIAC) enjoy a short break before playing non-conference foe Chapman University on Thursday, October 15, at 7:30 p.m. in Currier Gym.