COSTA MESA -- The second year of NCAA Division II got going for Vanguard women's volleyball tonight as the Lions opened their season with a convincing 3-0 victory over Regis University (Colo.) on Thursday evening.  The Freed Center for Leadership and Service was filled again for what turned into a clinical sweep for the Lions, who won with set scores of 25-20, 25-13, 25-15.  VU hit a blistering .475 on the evening and had only four attacking errors on 80 attempts.  The Rangers hit .151 and the Lions had all five blocks in the game.  Regis drops to 0-1.

What Happened?
The first set began with a balanced exchange of points until a 3-0 stretch saw a block by Delaney Hill lead to a Viktoria Dickson strike and a Payton Darm service ace.  Ahead 9-5, VU kept a small advantage until another Dickson kill initiated a 4-1 run. Julia Ringenberg, in her debut, was instrumental in setting up multiple attacks, including a big slam by Hill to up the edge to 16-11.  Regis had a small 3-1 stretch to bring the gap down to 22-19, but kills from Adeline Galvanoni and Morgan Cole helped the Lions close out the set 25-20.  Both teams had game-high hitting rates in the first, with VU at a .542 clip (14-1-24) and Regis at a .292 mark (11-4-24). 
 
Set 2
The second set commenced and Dickson and Galvanoni threw down kills which set the tone for a dominant performance. Macy Kavanaugh and Ringenberg orchestrated the offense with precision, keeping the Ranger defense scattered for the duration of the period. Cole's consistent attacking led to crucial points in the mid-set, and Hill's decisive kill secured a 25-13 victory, as the squad was ahead by 10 points for the back-half of the interval. The Lions had a .429 hitting percentage in the second, with a match-high 16 hills with one error on 35 attempts.  Regis slowed to a .219 mark. 
 
Set 3
The third set began with a Galvanoni kill and two long service runs puncuated the Vanguard performance.  The first came from Ringenberg, who made six serves in a row and tallied one ace.  Hill and Darm threw down kills during that stretch which put the Blue and Gold ahead 8-3.  Darm then delivered six serves in succession as the Lions increased the lead to 18-6, with Hill and some Ranger errors putting the final set mostly to bed.  A solo block by Hill concluded the set, which also saw Kayla Henninger make her first VU appearance. Abigayle Gotwals stepped onto to the floor for the first time midway through the second set and got her first VU kill in the third.
 
Galvanoni led the charge for the Lions with 10 kills on 17 attempts, finishing with a hitting percentage of .588. Kavanaugh facilitated the offense with 17 assists, with Ringenberg chipping in 12.  Hill added nine kills and bolstered the defense with four total blocks, while Dickson had seven kills.  Kayla Robinson added three total blocks and Kate Fagundes led the team with 10 digs.  Cole had seven kills and no errors on nine attempts and added six digs.
 
Why is it Important?  The Lions had never played Regis but get the win in the opening matchup, which also makes it three years in a row that the Blue and Gold have won the opening game of a season.
 
What's Next?  VU takes on Western Oregon tomorrow at CUI at 5:00 p.m.