SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Despite dropping two matches to a pair of top five teams, the University of Redlands women's volleyball team (0-3) found themselves within six points in five of their six sets Saturday as they showed the ability to keep up with two of the best teams in the country in No. 4 East Texas Baptist University (ETBU) and No. 2 Trinity University (Texas).
Match 1 (East Taxes Baptist University; L, 3-0)
The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead thanks to kills by Cecily Wagstaff (Portland, OR) and Lily Kautai (San Mateo, CA) as Tiana Mariner (Lehi, UT) and Makenna Vanhofwegen (Buckeye, AZ) got the assists. The Bulldogs maintained that lead at 6-5 following a Tiger service error before ETBU scored four unanswered.
Redlands, though, never trailed by more than four points until a 4-0 run in favor of the Tigers sealed the set.
Wagstaff and Krystal Rose Huff (Mill Valley, CA) had kills, coupled by a service ace from Hannah Hajnal (El Cerrito, CA) to get Redlands out to another early lead, 4-2, in the second.
Once again ETBU had a response, this time rattling off six in a row, giving them the lead, which they never relinquished as they took a 2-0 lead in the match.
After seeing their early leads erased in the first two sets, the Bulldogs found themselves out in front, 13-11 in the third, after an Esha Ball (Fresno, CA) kill and a Hajnal ace. But a 14-7 Tiger run ensued, ending any chance for the Bulldogs to force a fourth set.
Match 2 (Trinity University; L, 3-0)
A 2-1 lead was the only time the Bulldogs held an advantage, which came in the first set as the Tigers took the set, 25-17.
Following the first set where they were behind throughout, Redlands found themselves tied with Trinity on 18 occasions in the second set. The U of R held a 22-20 lead thanks to a Jaycee Hullar (Lake Elsinore, CA) kill. But a 5-1 run by the Tigers to end the set put them ahead 2-0.
Emily Kitchin (Portland, OR) and Ball had kills with a Mariner ace to make it 4-1 Bulldogs after five points in the third set. The lead was then extended to five, 8-3, thanks to a 4-0 run.
Redlands' lead grew to as many as seven, 12-5, on the back of a Kautai kill and an ace. Trinity, though, responded with nine of the next 12 points to pull within one, 15-14. Redlands stopped the run and expanded their lead to four, 18-14, thanks to a kill by Kitchin and an ace and kill by Kautai.
The Bulldogs then took that four-point lead to 24-20, giving them four set points. But five straight by the Tigers completed their comeback and sealed the match sweep.
Kautai finished with 10 kills and seven digs. Hajnal and Vanhofwegen combined for 28 assists with Mariner picking up 11 digs.
Redlands will look to get their first win of 2026 against Pacific Lutheran University this Friday, September 11 at 3:45 p.m. when they compete in the WC/ULV Invitational at Whittier College.
