Volleyball Gears Up For Two Road Matches

10/8/2019 2:22:00 PM

By: Holly Stevenson - Sports Communication Graduate Assistant

THIS WEEK'S MATCHES

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs volleyball team heads to Utah to play Dixie State University and Westminster College.

Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. at Dixie State University (9-5, 4-2 RMAC), St. George, Utah/Student Activity Arena
Oct. 12 at 4 p.m. at Westminster College (3-11, 0-6 RMAC), Salt Lake City, Utah/ Behnken Field House

GAME COVERAGE

Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/uccs/

LAST TIME OUT

The UCCS Mountain Lions won Friday against S.D. School of Mines Hardrockers and fell to the Black Hills State University Yellow Jackets on Saturday. Friday, the team found their groove with four players reaching double digits in kills. Grace Nelson had a strong offensive weekend totalling 27 kills for the two matches. Saturday night started out promising with UCCS coming back from a four-point deficit, at the end of the first set to win. The Mountain Lions ulitmatey fell to the Yellow Jackets as they pulled ahead with a .289 hitting percentage to UCCS' .254.

The Series

UCCS looks to end a four-match losing streak against DSU. Three of those losses coming from last year where we faced them in two preseason matches and again in post-season in last November they lost at St. George in a four set match in the RMAC Quarterfinal Round.
The Mountain Lions are 6-0 all-time against WC.

Scouting Report

DSU has several strong players on their team both offensively and defensively with at least one player in the top 10 rankings in the RMAC (except for hitting percentages). Senior To'a Faleo proves a strong offensive player ranking number four in the RMAC in kills, averaging 3.41 and she is third in service aces totaling 65 for the season.
The Griffins enter the weekend with a 3-11 overall record and an RMAC record of 0-6. The Mountain Lions will need to watch out for Audrey Green on offense as she has the team high of 168 kills giving her the fifth spot in the RMAC. Hannah Stearman is a strong backline defender averaging 4.71 digs,the fifth most in the RMAC.

Hot Takes

Raelynn Edge has taken No. 6 on the team's all-time record for assists, surpassing Lindsey Hillegass, with 2,409 after gaining 102 assists over the weekend. She's now only four away from taking the number 5 spot.
The team hit a season-high 63 kills against SDSMT with Josie Russell, Lauryn Shockley, and Taylor Smith all hitting double digits and alloting 41 of the 63.
Grace Nelson is eighth in the RMAC for hitting percentage with a .331.
Freshman Emily Etell ranks No. 7 in the RMAC with 7.62 assits/set.
Edge had an impressive match against SDSU with a season-high 40.

UCCS Under Head Coach Chrissy Elder

Chrissy Elder is in her seventh season as Head Coach of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs volleyball program. In her first six seasons, Elder has led the Mountain Lions to the RMAC Tournament every year, and has coached 19 all-conference and 28 academic all-conference performers.
Elder came to UCCS from the University of Central Missouri where she was a member of a coaching staff that lead the Jennies to the NCAA Division II national semifinals in 2010 and the national quarterfinals in 2011. She joined the staff in 2007 as an assistant coach before she was promoted to Head Assistant Coach in 2009. Prior to joining the staff at Central Missouri, Elder was the interim head coach for the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She joined the Kangaroo staff as a graduate assistant coach in 2005. Elder finished her collegiate playing career at Pittsburg State University, where she also doubled as a student assistant coach for the Gorillas in her senior season. She was an All-American and All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association setter. In 2005, Elder earned her bachelor's degree in recreation and fitness management from Pittsburg State, and in 2008 she went on to earn her master's degree from UMKC.

T-MINUS 3 Wins

Coach Elder is three wins away from reaching the 100-win milestone marks. An interim head coach in 2006 at Missouri-Kansas City where she went 7-23, she has garnered 90 wins at UCCS (90-90), including three winning seasons. In seven years as a head coach, Elder has a 97-113 record.

Upcoming Matches

Next week the Mountain Lions come home to face New Mexico Highlands and Colorado State University-Pueblo in the Gallogly Events Center

Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. vs. New Mexico Highlands, Colorado Springs, Colo./Gallogly Events Center
Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. vs. CSU-Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Colo./Gallogly Events Center