It was senior night for the California Lutheran University women’s volleyball team as the Regals took on Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponent University of Redlands in the season finale on Saturday, Nov. 2 in Gilbert Arena.

The Regals ended their season on a five-game winning streak by defeating the Bulldogs in straight sets, making the final score 3-0.

The team improved their season record to 17-10 and their SCIAC record to 11-5. Over the past six games the Regals have only dropped one set propelling them into the SCIAC tournament which starts Thursday, Nov. 7.

“I think right now at the great point of the season we are starting to click, things are starting to work for us, and so it’s great momentum going into postseason for sure,”  senior libero Carly Rose Howard said.

As the first set began, the Regals wanted to continue their aggressive play that was successful for them in their past games, Howard said. The Regals got off to a quick start, only losing 13 total points in the first set, making the first set score 25-13.

“They came out really strong again with nothing to lose, so they were just swinging hard and fast, and so we just had to pick up our momentum and play our game in the end,” sophomore opposite hitter Samantha Landrum said.

The second set saw a much closer battle, where both the Regals and Bulldogs increased their total attack statistics by almost double the first set. The Regals’ 12 kills and 36 total attacks led them to a 25-21 victory in the second set.

The Regals were able to close the game and the season on a high note by ending the game with a third set win of 25-21, shutting down the Bulldogs. Landrum had a game-high 10 total kills, which helped solidify the win for the Regals.

Howard, the only senior on the Regals, ended her regular season career on senior night with a game-high 16 total digs.

“It’s awesome. It’s a really special night where you are just kind of feeling the love of everything in this program. This culture and this team is so close and so to have everyone around is just really really special,” Howard said.

Head Coach Kellee Roesel has coached Howard all four years of her college career, and believes her growth as a leader stands out more than anything.

“Carly has progressed more as a woman for me. I am really proud of the woman that she is today and the leader that she is. I have had some really great captains, and she is right there at the top of that list,” Roesel said.

The Regals’ season has qualified them for a spot in the SCIAC postseason. Roesel believes there is always room to improve, even this late in the season.

“We are going to try some new stuff… so I am excited about that and have about 10 different things I want to work on Tuesday,” Roesel said.

The Regals will travel on Thursday, Nov. 7 to play Chapman University in the semifinals of the SCIAC tournament to compete for a spot in the final championship game.