COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs will continue its best start in seven years when the home and RMAC season starts on Friday at 7 p.m., against Chadron State (1-7) in the Gallogly Events Center. The Mountain Lions (5-3) will follow with a 5 p.m., match on Saturday against Regis (4-4).

Alyssa Brinton is leading the top offensive team in the RMAC and one of the top hitting teams in Division II. Brinton is averaging a conference-leading 4.38 kills per set and ranks No. 17 in Division II. She is on pace for the best average for a Mountain Lion since the points needed to win a set moved from 30 to 25 in 2008.

The Mountain Lions are averaging 14.03 kills per set, ranked No. 13 in the nation, and hitting .244, good for No. 29 in the nation. UCCS leads the RMAC in both categories and also leads the conference in holding opponents to 11.41 kills per set. The team is on pace to break the program record for hitting average set in 1991 and the best kills average in the 25-point scoring era.

Chadron State is under Riann Mullis in her first season, after she spent the five years at Cowley College. She and UCCS Head Coach Chrissy Elder both played at Pittsburg State, although not on the same time. The Eagles won their lone match of the season in a sweep at Point Loma Nazarene, and played three matches against top-25 teams.

Regis is holding opponents to a .153 hitting percentage, and did so with six of its eight matches against teams receiving votes or ranked in the national polls. Yagoda Jedrzejczak is fourth in the RMAC with 1.11 blocks per set and was the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week after the opening weekend.

UCCS has won eight of its last nine conference openers dating back to the 2007 season, and six of its last seven home openers since the 2009 season. The Mountain Lions were one of the seven teams in the RMAC to win more than 50 percent of their matches during the nonconference schedule.

Live stats, audio and video will be available for free for the second straight season on the UCCS Athletic Network. Charlie Botnick will provide the play-by-play during the season.