DENVER – Way back in mid-September, MSU Denver had a 2-1 lead in its best-of-5 volleyball match with Regis.
 
But the Roadrunners couldn't seal the deal.
 
Regis, ranked No. 21 at the time, rallied to post a 15-25, 25-22, 25-27, 25-17, 15-10 victory.
 
Just over five weeks later, the Rangers are slightly ahead of Metropolitan State University of Denver for a third-place tie in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings (Regis is 12-3, MSU Denver is 11-3 and in fifth).
 
But there is an opportunity for at least some measure of revenge.
 
"We get a second chance against Regis," MSU Denver coach Jenny Glenn said. "And it's not always in life that you get a second chance. We're excited for that match."
 
The Roadrunners (15-7 overall) make the six-mile journey to Regis for a 7 p.m. match on Tuesday. The match doesn't count for the RMAC standings, but it carries huge implications in the South Central Regional rankings that are used to determine bids for the NCAA Division II tournament.
 
MSU Denver has gone to the tournament 18 consecutive seasons.
 
It's a big match, but one that outside hitter Taylor Duryea (Logan, Utah/Sky View) said the Roadrunners shouldn't allow to get too big.
 
"It's another chance to play volleyball," she said. "It's fun volleyball against an in-town rival. Yeah, we get another chance at them. We played them early and it'll be fun to see who has been training at what, who has developed which skills. We're hoping to come out on top. It's our next match, so it's our most important one. But overall, it's just a fun volleyball match."
 
Regis (16-8) ranks second in the league with a .250 hitting percentage and an average of 13.9 kills per set. MSU Denver is fourth in hitting percentage (.221) and third in kills per set (13.5).
 
Regis is led by RMAC player of the year Nikki Kennedy, who is hitting .373 and averages 3.3 kills and 1.4 blocks per set to rank third, seventh and second, respectively, in those categories among RMAC players.
 
Duryea leads MSU Denver and ranks fourth in the RMAC with 3.4 kills per set. Santaisha Sturges (Parker, Colo./Regis Jesuit) posted back-to-back double-doubles over the weekend and averages 3.1 kills and 2.9 digs. Avaline Lai (Boulder, Colo./Fairview) has a team-best hitting percentage of .328, while Alyssa Kelling (Merton, Wis./Arrowhead) is hitting .297 and averages a team-best 0.94 blocks per set. Stephanie Laraway (Lakewood, Colo./Lakewood) averages 0.89 blocks per set.
 
The Roadrunners entered last Friday's match with a chance to capture a share of first place in the RMAC, but after winning the first set against first-place Colorado School of Mines, MSU Denver lost the final three sets and the match. They wound up back in fifth place.
 
They dropped the first set Saturday night against the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, but then roared back to capture the final three sets with some of their most dominant play of the season.
 
"We needed that," Duryea said.
 
Now it's a three-match week for the Roadrunners, who travel to South Dakota for matches Friday at Black Hills State and Saturday at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.
 
"These next three matches are very important," outside hitter Kayla White (Montgomery, Ala./Montgomery Academy) said. "We're looking forward to seeing Regis again. All we can really control is ourselves, so that's what we're going to do."