GOODWELL, Okla. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs senior
Cassidy Bush set a program-record for hitting percentage in a four-set match as the Mountain Lions (3-1) finished the opening weekend of the season with a 3-1 victory against Northwestern Oklahoma State (0-4) in the Aggie Classic. UCCS won in 25-16, 23-25, 25-18 and 25-16 scores against the Rangers at the Oscar Williams Fieldhouse.
Bush hit .682 with 15 kills on 22 attacks with no errors, the second-best performance in program history for any match and a record for a four-set match. The team's .364 is a new record for a four-set match, and it came the same day the Mountain Lions set the overall record at .413 against Missouri Southern.
UCCS and Northwestern Oklahoma played even through 14-14 in the first set before the Mountain Lions rallied and closed out the set on an 11-2 run. The Mountain Lions committed only two attack errors in the set and finished with a .393 percentage.
The Rangers took early control in the second set with an 8-4 lead, and held the advantage until a five-point rally put the Mountain Lions ahead at 20-18. Northwestern Oklahoma retook a lead at 23-21 before back-to-back kills from Bush tied the set at 23-23. The Rangers scored the final two points to even the match at 1-1 with a 25-23 decision.
A 9-2 run for UCCS broke an 11-11 tie and led to a 25-18 victory for the Mountain Lions in the third set. UCCS scored eight straight early in the fourth set to build a 12-4 lead, and led by at least six points for the remainder of the set to claim the match on a 25-16 set win.
Alyssa Brinton made three straight kills during the eight-point run in the fourth set, and matched Bush's total of 15 kills. Brinton also added three service aces and 11 digs.
Morgan Evans led both teams with 43 assists and averaged 10.85 per set in the opening weekend.
Julie Ward led the Mountain Lions with 14 digs and
Lauren Brown added three blocks to lead the defense.
UCCS will be in Florida next weekend for the Florida Southern Terrace Classic with four matches in Lakeland, Fla. The Mountain Lions open with LIU Post on Sept. 9, at 8 a.m., MDT. LIU Post went 2-0 in a tri-match during the opening weekend.