STUMPED
RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- No. 5 California Baptist University ran out of answers Tuesday night, as Amber Ridens and No. 11 Concordia took a hard fought five-set victory from the Lancers.
CBU came up just short, falling 3-2 (17-25, 25-13, 28-26, 15-25, 15-13) to the Eagles in the Van Dyne Gymnasium.
“We definitely had opportunities tonight,” said Head Coach Ryan McGuyre. “We got good production from different people at different times, but a few hiccups along the way caused it to be closer than it needed to be and we lost.”
After the two teams traded wins to open the match, the third set became somewhat of a decisive one. It was Concordia in that third that was able to catch the right breaks at the right times to take the game 28-26.
Losing the second game decisively seemed to wake the Lancers up, as the home team jumped out to a 5-0 lead to open the third. Concordia would battle back, however, and knot things up at 12-12, before going ahead 14-12.
Out of a timeout, CBU went on a four-point run, ignited by a ferocious kill from
Ingrid Carmona which was followed by a block from
Bree Rauschenbach and Carmona and two Eagle errors. The Lancers could not pull away, however, as the two point advantage was the most distance CBU could put between the two teams.
Concordia held set point, 24-23, but
Rauschenbach slammed a kill down the center of the court to even the game. CBU continued to fall behind and then tie the Eagles until a service error and kill from Ridens gave Concordia the win.
CBU bounced back winning the fourth to force a deciding game, but once again couldn't get the necessary kills to pass the Eagles.
In the fifth set CBU fell behind early, before tying the score at 12-12 and forcing a Concordia timeout. Out of the timeout a Lancer error gave the Eagles the edge. Raushcenbach again ripped a clutch kill through the heart of the Eagle defense, but Madison Ekis answered quickly with a kill of her own to give Concordia match point. A final Lancer error on a kill attempt that sailed just long, gave Concordia the match.
Carmona led the way for the Lancers, ripping 26 kills and recording 17 digs.
Katie Lockard led the team defensively with 21 digs.
The performance of the night, though, was turned in by Concordia's Ridens who racked up 28 kills, 17 digs and three service aces.
On senior night, the Lancers' lone four-year player
Kari Oliver came in and got key digs at crucial moments to help keep things close, including a big one that kept a rally alive in the fifth set and allowed CBU to pull to within a point before tying it at 12-12.
With the loss CBU falls to 28-5 overall, 15-4 GSAC, while Concordia improves to 22-7, 13-6. The Lancers have one more regular season match, going on the road to face Hope International Saturday night.
