The University of Colorado Colorado Springs volleyball team (3-1) travels to Warrensburg, Mo., to participate in the Peggy Martin Challenge this upcoming weekend.
Kim Catlett and
Jordan Banich have started the season are the greatest offensive threats for UCCS, averaging 3.07 and 2.73 kills per set respectively. Catlett is also averaging 3.27 digs per set and has recorded a team-high seven service aces. Banich leads the team n attacks with 148, and was named to the BritKare Lady Buff Classic All-Tournament Team last weekend.
Setter
Grace Gordon was also named to that All-Tournament last weekend, averaging 8.53 assists per set, including a career-high 43 in a match against Texas-Permian Basin. Senior
Heather Sanders has also started the 2013 season strong as the Mountain Lion's libero, averaging a team-high 4.33 digs per set.
The Mountain Lions have also seen great production from newcomers
Kristen Sciacca, Emily Whitelaw, and
Cassidy Bush. Sciacca is averaging a precise .397 in her attacks, while adding a team-high 16 blocks, and three service aces. Whitelaw has accumulated 30 kills, averaging 2 kills per set, with a team-high three solo blocks through the first four matches this season. Bush is also averaging 2 kills per set, with 10 total blocks.
UCCS will begin the tournament on Friday at 9 a.m. as it faces Emporia State (4-0). The Mountain Lions lead the all-time series against the Hornets 2-0. Emporia State has dropped just two sets so far this season, while scoring 326 total points to their opponents' 258 points combined. The Hornets are led on offense by Katie Deutschmann, Josie Williams, Paige Vanderpool, and Carly Spicer, who are all averaging 2.21 kills per set or higher.
The second match in the tournament for UCCS will come later that day as the team faces Pittsburg State (0-4) at 2:30 p.m. The Gorillas are led by Crystal Whitten, who is currently averaging 4 kills and 4.23 points per set.
The Mountain Lions will be back in action on Saturday for two more matches to finish the tournament, starting with a match against McKendree (1-3) at 11 a.m. The Bearcats offense is anchored by Rebecca Nauman, who is averaging 9.69 assists per set, led by Bailey Kampwerth, who is averaging 3.54 kills per set.
First year head coach of UCCS,
Chrissy Elder, takes on the school she helped coach a season ago for the final match of the Peggy Martin Classic as the Mountain Lions face tournament host, No. 7 ranked Central Missouri (4-0) at 5 p.m. The Jennies have yet to drop a set this season, but if there is a team who knows Central Missouri better than anybody, it would be the Mountain Lions. Coach Elder helped lead the Jennies to record of 122-22 in her four year stint as head assistant coach.
Coach Elder understands that it will be a "tough weekend with three of the teams, one being seventh in the nation, and McKendree who is a really solid team. So it's going to be another tough weekend, but it will be a good indication of where we are and how ready we are for the RMAC."
