The Pioneer volleyball team broke their on-the-road losing streak and was able to continue what is now a four-game winning streak by beating Louisiana Tech and University of Texas – Arlington on Thursday and Saturday, respectively, to stretch their conference win streak to four as well.
On Thursday, the Pioneers beat the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters 25-13, 25-20, 22-25 and 25-13. In both the first and last set, the Pioneers posted twice as many kills as the opposition. DU is currently leading the conference in offensive efficiency with an average of .25.
“We did a very good job of blocking, defending and creating opportunities in transition, which is key for us,” said head coach Jesse Mahoney. “In the third set, the one we lost, we were not too good defensively, but we woke up in the fourth and were able to finish strong.”
Juniors Colleen King and Alex Turgeon led the team in kills with 10 and 15, respectively. They also each added three blocks. Turgeon recently moved into a starting role as an outside hitter.
“[The new position] definitely is a responsibility, but it’s also lot of fun,” said Turgeon. “I just try to be as consistent as possible, which is something the coaching staff has really stressed and helped me with.”
Senior Faimie Kingsley had nine kills and eight blocks, while freshman Michele Swope earned nine kills and 19 digs. Sophomore libero Kate Acker also had 19 digs.
On the other side of the net, Fenix Calderon led the Lady Techsters with 11 kills, while Regan Himmelberg and Clara Vido finished with nine kills each. Stephany Salas also tallied 19 digs.
Mahoney, whose team has struggled on the road throughout conference play this season, said he was pleased with the victory.
“It’s been a tough year for us on the road; we haven’t had a true road win yet,” said Mahoney. “To get that win under any circumstances is nice. We certainly used some of the momentum from this last weekend playing at home and took that with us on the road.”
On Saturday, the Crimson and Gold beat the University of Texas – Arlington Mavericks 3-1 in four sets, with scores of 23-25, 25-22, 25-20 and 25-23.
Again, the Pioneers’ strength was in their offense as they topped UTA in kills in all four sets. Their kill percentage in each game was even better, never falling below .227.
Hitters King, Kingsley and Swope combined for a total of 42 kills, with 19, 12 and 11 respectively. Kingsley also added eight blocks, while Swope tallied 11 digs.
Junior Brea Muhle finished with six blocks, seven kills and four digs. Acker had 24 digs and senior Lyndi Johnson, who is returning from an injury and was just cleared to play on Thursday, posted 13.
Sophomore setters Bailey Karst and Frances Carroll had 29 and 24 assists, respectively.
“These were really big wins for us, definitely confidence builders,” said King. “Playing at home last week with our fan base helped us to take that game on the road and find our rhythm.”
This win brings DU to 12-9 overall and 4-7 in the Western Athletic Conference. The team will try to continue their four-game win streak as they host the University of Northern Colorado and New Mexico State on Tuesday and Saturday in Hamilton Gymnasium.
