After a solid sweep of in-state rival University of Northern Colorado on Tuesday in Hamilton Gymnasium, the Pioneers fell 3-0 to the New Mexico State Aggies on Saturday, also at home. On Monday, Denver hit the court again to take on WAC foe Idaho, topping the Vandals in five sets.
In the first match of the week on Tuesday night, Denver put up a dominant performance against UNC, sweeping the series 25-13, 27-25 and 25-19.
“This was the most complete game we’ve played all year,” said head coach Jesse Mahoney.
On the offensive side, junior Colleen King led the team with 12 kills, and senior Faimie Kingsley and freshman Michele Swope were not far behind with 10 each.
Sophomore setters Bailey Karst and Frances Carroll tallied 22 and 17 assists, respectively.
“Offensively, we were running on all cylinders, and we defended at a pretty high level,” said Mahoney. “We hit .372 as a team, and it’s hard to beat a team that’s playing that well offensively. Both setters ran the game really well.”
Golden Bears players Kelley Arnold and Andrea Spaustat battled back with 14 and 13 kills, respectively, but were unable to top the Pioneer offense.
Defensively, junior Brea Muhle led the Pioneers in blocks with six. Kingsley added four while King and redshirt freshman Tara Curtis each had three. Sophomore libero Kate Acker finished with 11 digs.
Blocking made a huge difference in the contest, as the Pioneers totaled 10 blocks as a team, compared to UNC’s three.
DU won the first set 25-13 after an early 5-0 run which they were able to capitalize on as they extended the lead from 8-4 to 13-4.
The second set was hard-fought, and neither team led by more than three at any point. However, the Pioneers were able to take the set 27-25.
Denver got its momentum back in the third set, taking an early 13-8 lead and continuing on to win the set 25-19, clinching the 3-0 sweep.
“I’m really proud of the way we played,” said Mahoney. “UNC is a tough team and is probably going to win the Big Sky Conference. We have no complaints. It’s the best game we’ve played all year.”
Snapping the streak
The Pioneers’ unbeaten streak stopped at five on Saturday, however, as the team was defeated by New Mexico State, who sits at No. 2 in the WAC.
“New Mexico State is very good, and we were unable to match their intensity from the start,” said Mahoney. “It was unfortunate because we’ve been playing very well lately, especially at home.”
King led the team with nine kills, and Swope and junior Alex Turgeon tallied seven and five each. Again Muhle and Curtis each had three blocks. Acker also matched her stats from Tuesday with 11 digs.
On New Mexico State’s side of the net, hitters Meredith Hays and Desiree Scott each finished with 11 kills, and Lauren Loerch added 10.
The Pioneers only hit .098 overall compared to their impressive .372 on Tuesday.
“I have to give New Mexico State credit for scattering us with their blocking and defense. We struggled to score, which is unusual,” said Mahoney. “They really match up well against us and are able to take away some of the things that we do well.”
Finding redemption
In Monday night’s contest with Idaho (11-13, 9-5 WAC), who sits at No. 3 in the WAC, the Pioneers forced five sets, eventually topping the Vandals 28-26, 22-25, 22-25, 30-28 and 17-15.
After winning the first set, the Pioneers dropped two in a row but were able to bounce back in the final two sets to claim the victory.
“It was a tough match for both sides,” said Mahoney. “I think it was kind of a battle of attrition. The game started with both sides playing at a really high level, and we were just the ones left standing in the end. I was proud of my team for gutting it out and playing hard in each set. Every set was competitive, and I think we can find something to grow from in this match.”
King again led the team with an impressive 21 kills for a .22 hitting percentage. Kingsley added 13 kills.
On the opposite side of the net, Allison Walker led the Vandals with 22 kills.
This week, the team will try to recreate the offensive power it had last Tuesday as the Pioneers host two conference opponents. DU will face Utah State and San Jose State on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Both games will start at 7 p.m. in Hamilton Gymnasium.
This week’s action brought DU to 14-10 overall with a 7-6 record in the WAC. The Pioneers are currently No. 7 in the 10-team conference.
