The University of Denver volleyball team (12-11) defeated the University of San Francisco (10-14) at Hamilton Gymnasium on Oct. 31, 3-0 victory.
The Crimson and Gold won three consecutive sets and took control of the match with an overall strong offensive performance and consistent teamwork.
Denver started the first set strong, quickly taking the lead against San Francisco. They found success attacking the ball, recording a total of 13 kills without a single error in the opening set.
Their offensive performance helped them take the first set 25-17, giving them an early 1-0 set advantage in the match.
The Crimson and Gold carried that momentum and quickly took the lead in the second set. Denver continued to pressure the Dons, using strong attacks.
Denver won the second set 25-16.
With two sets secured, the Crimson and Gold entered the third set looking to finish the match and complete the sweep. San Francisco started to fight back, keeping the score neck in neck at the beginning of the set, 8-8.
However, Denver pushed ahead and maintained a small lead throughout the set. They closed out the match with a 25-22 victory.
Sophomore libero Madison Winkler played an important role in Denver’s victory, leading the defensive effort with 11 digs. Winkler helped keep the ball in play and gave Denver opportunities to transition from defense to offense.
“I think my job is just to go for everything, never hesitate, just be the person who is making those crazy plays. And I think it’s just super important to have someone who is always going for it and just being super aggressive,” Winkler said.
As a team, Denver finished with 46 kills and .424 hitting percentage. The Crimson and Gold also recorded seven aces and five total blocks, showcasing their strength across different areas of the game.
“I think this whole week we’ve been working on just being really aggressive and being really intentional with what we’re doing. I think it really showed today. I think we had one of the highest hitting percentages we’ve had the whole season. I think it shows how much work we put in for that,” said Winkler.
Denver will look to play against University of San Diego on Nov. 7 at Hamilton Gymnasium.
