COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs volleyball team secured their first win of the season, besting Western Oregon University in four sets to open up the 2023 Mountain Lion Classic.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
- Final Score vs. Western Oregon: 3-1 (26-24, 20-25, 25-18, 28-26)
- Records: UCCS (1-4, 0-0 RMAC) | CSUDH (4-1, 0-0 GNAC)
- Facility | Location: Gallogly Events Center | Colorado Springs, Colo.
- All-Time Series: Today's match against Western Oregon is the first time in program history UCCS has faced the Wolves.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first set was tightly contested, seeing 13 ties and five lead changes. The Mountain Lions would be on the attack early, getting multiple kills from Lauren Shockley and Raegen Emery to jump out to a 15-11 lead. Western Oregon would respond, going on a 5-0 run to regain the lead. With the score sitting at 25-24, thanks to a kill from Sydnee Walker, Rylie Hahn entered the game and served up an ace, securing the first set in favor of the Mountain Lions.
- Emery connected with Joei Barela for a kill to open the second set. The Mountain Lions held the lead for the first nine rallies, until the Wolves tied the score at four points apiece. Western Oregon never looked back, expanding their lead to five and never surrendered it during the set. The Wolves hit at a .250 clip and served up two aces, en route to a 25-20 victory in the second set.
- UCCS found themselves down 7-10 early in the third set. The Mountain Lions would rally behind the serve of Barela, as they went on a 7-0 run which included kills from Walker, Emery and Shockley. While the Wolves hung tough, the UCCS lead proved too big. Shockley ended the set with an emphatic kill, giving the Mountain Lions a 2-1 lead, heading into the fourth set.
- The Mountain Lions went up early, as Nicole Medlin and Emery each notched multiple kills, growing their lead to 14-9. Western Oregon bounced back in a big way, dominating the serve behind Kealani Rosa and Madison Hornback. The lead was 21-24 in favor of the Wolves, with a fifth set looming in the distance. Back-to-back attack errors by Western Oregon was followed by an ace from Mackenzie Ransom knotted the score at 24 points each. An ace from Walker followed by a monumental block from Julia Geiger and Shockley secured the set and match for the Mountain Lions, 28-26.
MATCH STATISTICS VS. WESTERN OREGON
- Emery led all players with 12 kills, as Medlin had 11 kills of her own.
- Barela was the match leader in assists, with 40, adding three kills and two block assists.
- Walker contributed eight kills and a team-high 11 digs in her first home game as a Mountain Lion.
- Ransom and Walker each tallied two service aces in the match.
- Medlin was a force at the net, securing two solo blocks and five block assists.
- The Mountain Lions hit .142 for the match with 48 kills and 42 set assists.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Barela tied her career high with 40 assists, a feat she set just last match in Concordia.
- Emery set a career high in blocks with four.
- Shockley has now played in 106 career matches. She needs three more matches to break into the top-10 in program history.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will be back in action on Friday, September 8th, as they take on Bemidiji State in the UCCS Mountain Lion Classic. The match will begin at 12:15 p.m. (MST).
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
