California Lutheran University Regals volleyball beat the University of California, Santa Cruz Banana Slugs 60-56,maintaining the Regalsโ perfect record.
Senior center Aliya DiMuro, the leading scorer for the undefeated Regals, got Cal Lutheran on the board. After a tight first quarter, the score was tied at 14-14. The Regals went on a 10-4 run early in the second quarter, building their biggest lead of the game with six points.
However, the Banana Slugs responded with two 3-pointers, closing the gap to 29-27 in favor of the Regals at halftime. In the third quarter, the Banana Slugs outscored the Regals 20-12. Trailing by six entering the fourth, DiMuro answered, scoring nine consecutive points, including an and-one finish, to give the Regals a brief lead.
The Banana Slugs soon regained the lead, going up 54-50 with 5:47 left after a 3-pointer and a second-chance basket. Sophomore guard Kaiya Mack converted a bucket with two minutes left to put the Regals back in front. The defense came up with a crucial stop in the final seconds, forcing the Banana Slugs into a tough shot attempt that missed.
With the game still tight, junior guard Janna Holley sank two free throws with under 10 seconds left to seal the victory for Cal Lutheran.
โThe game was a very close one. We kept on fighting, and honestly, we just had to have that grit and play together to come out with the win,โ senior guard Deliliah Kimble-Gray said.
Kimble-Gray said she focused most on making defensive stops.
DiMuro said the game was a tested the teamโs nerves, especially in moments when the game became stressful.
โThis was a real test for us, especially after that third quarter,โ Head Coach Kelli DiMuro said. โIโm proud of the way they responded in the fourth, sticking to the plan and not panicking when things got tough.โ
Assistant Coach Natalie Ruhl praised the teamโs ability to execute late in the game.
โDefinitely at the end of the game, we followed our game plan and didnโt let them score at the end, which was awesome. The whole bench was in it, the crowd was in it, so a lot more wins to come, but nice home win,โ Ruhl said.
Assistant Coach Barbara Rangel said the game was a difficult one, especially with the team coming off a tough matchup with the University of California, Santa Barbara the day before.
โGoing down a little bit in the third quarter and just coming back and fighting through it and the tired legs and everything. Iโm proud of them, and I think itโs going to be an exciting season,โ Rangel said.
The Regals will look to uphold the teamโs winning record when they face Whitman College in the UC Santa Cruz Thanksgiving Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 1 p.m.
