Denver athletic teams have already been winning games and making the Pioneer community proud this year. From women’s volleyball to men’s soccer, various DU teams participate in the Summit League conference, a NCAA Division One collegiate conference of nine universities located within the midwestern U.S.
Denver, the westernmost university in the league, is always a top contender. The Pioneers face the following universities throughout Summit League play: Indiana University- Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), North Dakota State, Oral Roberts University, University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University, University of Nebraska-Omaha, University of Western Illinois and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
The Pioneer teams that participate in the Summit League include: men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s golf and swimming and diving.
Currently, women’s volleyball is 1-1 in Summit League play, while men’s soccer is 1-0 in conference thus far. Many teams, like women’s soccer, do not begin playing Summit League games until the latter half of the season.
Denver volleyball faced their first Summit League opponent of the season on Sept. 25, winning 3-0 over IPFW. In a close match, the Pioneers fell to IUPUI 3-2 on Sept. 26. Denver’s remaining 14 games are all against Summit League opponents in preparation for the Summit League Championships which begin on Nov. 20 in Denver.
Opening Summit League play with a win, men’s soccer defeated Western Illinois 2-0 on Sept. 26. The first conference match of the year, the Pioneer’s road victory moved their current season record to 7-0-1. The next Summit League matchup for Denver is scheduled for Oct. 2 against IUPUI at the Pio’s home turf, CIBER Field.
Although many Summit League teams are from smaller universities, they still pose as difficult competition for the Denver Pioneers.
Summit League play will continue to increase for all participating teams as each season progresses into league play, which then finishes with the annual Summit League Tournament.
Note: This article was finalized on Monday, Sept. 28 and does not take into account any events and/or games that have transpired since then.
