GOODWELL, Okla. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs volleyball team opened the 2016 season with the fourth-best hitting percentage in program history after a 3-0 set win at Oklahoma Panhandle State University tonight at Oscar Williams Field House. The Mountain Lions (1-0) won in 25-11, 25-10 and 25-18 sets against the Aggies (0-1).

UCCS hit .403 as a team in the best performance since Sept. 3, 2011, against Eastern New Mexico. Alyssa Brinton led the team with a .524 hitting percentage with 13 kills off of 21 attacks. Taylor Hamilton hit .500 with eight kills and Grace Nelson made her Mountain Lion debut with six kills and a .625 percentage.

The Mountain Lions put together an 8-1 run early in the first set to open a 15-7 lead against Panhandle State. UCCS hit .571 as a team in the first set for the 25-11 win against the Aggies, led by Brinton's .714 with six kills. The Mountain Lions scored the first six points in the second set and took the set 25-10 in the largest victory margin in a set since 2012.

Panhandle took a 6-5 lead in the third set before UCCS scored the next five points for a 10-6 advantage. The Aggies narrowed the Mountain Lion down to three points at 20-17, but UCCS finished the match with a 5-1 rally to win the match on a 25-18 set victory. It was the first season-opening three-set win since 2011.

Morgan Evans led both teams with 24 assists and increased her career total to 1,690. She needs 19 more to tie for seventh in program records. Natasha Habert led a balanced defensive effort with eight digs as four Mountain Lions finished with five or more. Taylor Kramm and Julie Ward both added three service aces as UCCS finished with 10 team aces, tied for No. 12 for three-set matches in program history.

The Mountain Lions will return to the same court on Friday morning for at 10 a.m., MDT, match against Fort Hays State. It will be the first match of the season for the Tigers, who went 21-13 last season.