THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs volleyball team will travel to Topeka, Kan. Sept. 3-4 as they open the 2021 season at the Washburn Invitational, presented by Hotel Topeka at City Center.  The Mountain Lions will bookend their weekend against nationally ranked opponents.  UCCS will start Friday morning at 9 a.m. (MT) against host school No. 8 Washburn, followed by Minot State University at 1:30 p.m. (MT).  On Saturday, the Mountain Lions will start bright and early against William Jewell at 8 a.m. (MT) before closing the weekend against No. 25 Rockhurst University at 1 p.m. (MT).
 
 
MATCH COVERAGE
Video: https://themiaanetwork.com/washburnichabods/  
Live Stats vs. WU, MSU, RU: https://wusports.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
Live Stats vs. WJC: https://wusports.com/sidearmstats/wvball2/summary
 
 
WASHBURN INVITATIONAL TICKETING POLICY

• All tickets must be pre-purchased. There will be no walkup sales on game day: https://wutickets.universitytickets.com/w/?cid=185
• All tickets are general admission and seating is first-come, first-serve
• Tickets purchased are emailed to the fan as an E-Ticket.
• Tickets can then be printed off or kept on a phone to be scanned
• Tickets will remain available until game time or until arena is sold out.
• Masks are required at all times

 
 
SEASON OUTLOOK

• The University of Colorado Colorado Springs volleyball team received 93 points and are tied for eighth place in the 2021 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Poll.  The Mountain Lions are tied with the Mountaineers of Western Colorado University.
• In a COVID-abbreviated season last spring, the Mountain Lions competed in 14 matches.  UCCS closed the 2020-21 regular season with a 4-10 record and a 4-7 mark in RMAC matches and finished ninth in the league standings.  Due to a COVID testing and protocol situation with an RMAC team that qualified for the RMAC tournament, the Mountain Lions were able to move into the No. 8 seed position for the conference tournament where they faced top seed and No. 2 ranked CMU in the quarterfinal round (L, 3-0).

 
THE SERIES

• Vs. Washburn: Friday's meeting will be the eighth time in program history the Mountain Lions and Ichabods have faced off against each other.  UCCS is looking for their first-ever win over WU.
• Vs. Minot State: UCCS holds a 1-0 series lead against the Beavers.  The inaugural meeting between the two programs was Sept. 14, 2019 at the UCCS Mountain Lion Classic (UCCS defeated MSU, 3-0).
• Vs. William Jewell:  The first and last time UCCS and WJC saw each other was three years at the same Washburn Invitational.  WJ won the match in five sets.
• Vs. Rockhurst: It's been over 10 years since the Mountain Lions faced Rockhurst.  RU leads the series, 2-0, taking both matches in 2002 and 2007.

 
 
SCOUTING REPORT

• WU Ichabods: Washburn enters the season ranked No. 8 in the AVCA Division II poll and second in the 2021 MIAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Ichabods played a shortened conference-only schedule in the spring of 2021 where they went 14-5 overall. In 2019, Washburn was ranked in the top-five of the AVCA national poll the entire season and finished with a record of 27-4 (18-2 MIAA) and competed in the NCAA Tournament for the 15th time in program history.
• MSU BEAVERS: The Beavers are led by senior right-side Kayla Verity. Verity is the lone returning starter back from the 2019 Minot State roster as the Beavers did not play in 2020 because of COVID. Minot State was picked to finish 15^th by the NSIC coaches in the preseason poll, earning 32 points.
• WJC CARDINALS: The Cardinals closed the 2020-21 season with a 1-19 overall record and a 1-17 mark in the GLVC.  They are picked to finish fifth in the GLVC West Division Preseason Poll.
• RU HAWKS: Rockhurst is ranked No. 25 in the AVCA Division II Top 25 Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Hawks finished the shortened 2020-21 season with a 12-7 record after starting the season ranked seventh in the AVCA Division II Preseason Poll. Rockhurst returns four starters, including senior middle hitter Morgan Conner who earned All-GLVC Second Team honors.
    

 
HOT TAKES

• In eight seasons at the helm for the Mountain Lions, Head Coach Chrissy Elder is two wins shy of reaching the 100-win milestone at UCCS (98-108).  Elder, who spent the 2006-07 as the UM-Kansas City Head Coach, owns a 105-131 career record.
• Elder is 1-3 overall against this weekend's opponents.  Saturday's match against Rockhurst will be Elder's first time facing the Hawks.
• Redshirt junior Jordyn Kinsey currently sits at No. 7 in the career record books for digs.  Kinsey has collected 1,050 digs in three seasons at UCCS, and needs only 71 more digs to move into the No. 6 slot.
• The Mountain Lions return five of their six starters from last season: Maren Burkhart, Emily Ettel, Grace Ferguson, Julia Geiger, and Lauryn Shockley, including starting libero Jordyn Kinsey, along with five more letterwinners: Katelyn McMoore, Hannah Ammerman, Madison McIntosh, Jenna Szilagyi and Raegen Emery.  UCCS welcomes three newcomers to the program this season: Abbie Boren, Tori Perduk and Camden Strain.

 
 
RMAC PRESEASON PLAYERS TO WATCH

• Three Mountain Lions were highlighted to the RMAC Players to Watch this season: Jordyn Kinsey, Emily Ettel and Lauryn Shockley.
• A three-time RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll performer, Jordyn Kinsey anchored the back row defense for the Mountain Lions last season.  She saw action in 13 matches and racked up 205 digs, the sixth most digs in the league.  Kinsey notched 42 assists and served up 12 aces.  She averaged a team high 3.94 digs per set (eighth in the RMAC) and 0.81 assists per set while recording a .948 reception percentage.
• Redshirt-sophomore setter Emily Ettel competed in all 14 matches for the Mountain Lions last season.  She totaled 493 assists, the sixth most in the RMAC, and added 112 digs, 28 kills, 17 blocks (three solo, 14 assisted), nine service aces and 47 points.  Named to the RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll, Ettel averaged a career-high 8.80 assists per set (fourth in RMAC), 2.00 digs per set, 0.50 kills per set and 0.84 points per set. 
• Lauryn Shockley is entering her fourth season with the Mountain Lions.  In 2020-21, Shockley was named All-RMAC Second Team and to the RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll.  She competed in 14 matches and ranked seventh in the league in kills (164) and points (170).  She added 106 digs, 15 service aces, 19 blocks (three solo, 16 assisted), and six assists.  She finished the season with a hitting percentage of .178 and a serve percentage of .927.  Her 3.04 kills per set were the sixth most in the RMAC and her 3.52 points per set were the fourth highest in the league. 
   

UCCS UNDER HEAD COACH CHRISSY ELDER

• Chrissy Elder begins her ninth season as the Head Coach for the University of Colorado Colorado Springs volleyball program in 2021 after seven consecutive RMAC Tournament appearances for the Mountain Lions.
• Elder coached 10 Mountain Lions who were named to the RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll: Hannah Ammerman, Maren Burkhart, Emily Ettel, Julia Geiger, Jordyn Kinsey, Madison McIntosh, Courtney Rodocker, Josie Russell, Lauryn Shockley and Jenna Szilagyi.  Following the season, Shockley was tabbed to the All-RMAC Second Team.

 
UPCOMING MATCHES

• The Mountain Lions will open their home season with an 11-match Mountain Lion Classic on Sept. 10-11.  UCCS will play three matches on Friday and Saturday against Texas A&M-International, William Jewell and Lubbock Christian.

 
SOCIAL
Twitter - @GoMountainLions
Instagram - @gomountainlions 
Facebook – Go Mountain Lions
 
As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.