THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The university of Redlands Volleyball team wrapped up their 2022 schedule Saturday night on the road falling in straight sets to Cal Lutheran University 25-15, 25-12, 25-12.
In the opening set the Bulldogs took control early, leading 8-4. Avery Aminoff (Alexandria, VA) had a pair of kills during the run and was joined by Katie Allbery (Spokane, WA), Kiana Stradford (Mission Viejo, CA), Kylie Martin (Centennial, CO), and Shelby Dawson (Fontana, CA) who recorded one a piece.
The Regals would then take the lead 9-8 after a quick 5-0 run. Following an error from CLU, Martin posted a kill to re-gain the lead for Redlands. After another tie at eleven, the Regals took over the set with seven straight that set the tone the rest of the way as the Bulldogs would fall in an early hole.
After a promising start in the first, the second started the exact opposite, with the Regals scoring the first nine points and thirteen of the first fourteen. UR would tally five of the next seven points to get within ten, 22-12. Aminoff and Bailey Hoblitzell (Elk Grove, CA) had kills and Stradford scored twice, once on a kill and a second from a solo block. The run would come up short however as CLU would finish off the period with three in a row to secure the second set.
Ella Goettsche (Eastvale, CA) served the first two points of the third set, one of which was a service ace as the Bulldogs led 2-0 early on. The set would be tied at seven after three consecutive points coming from a Hoblitzell kill, a Regal error, and a Lyric Waterman (Aurora, CO) ace.
After being down one, 9-8, Redlands saw CLU win 12-of-13 as they put the set and the match away. Redlands was able to win three points late off kills from Martin, Allbery, and Goettsche. But ultimately would drop the final set 25-12.
Aminoff had a team-high five kills, Goettsche added 10 assists, four digs, a kill, and an ace, and Samantha Gradowitz (Bakersfield, CA) had 11 digs, her second career double-digit dig game, both coming in the last three games.
The Bulldog season comes to an end for a team that has no seniors and won two games in October after not recording a win for more than a year. A promising future awaits the Maroon and Grey in 2023.