RAPID CITY, S.D. – One night after securing their first win of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference season, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs volleyball team suffered a sweep Saturday night at South Dakota Mines in Rapid City, S.D.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
- Final Score: L, 0-3 (24-26, 20-25, 18-25)
- Records: UCCS (6-4, 1-1 RMAC) | SDM (6-4, 2-0 RMAC)
- Facility | Location: King Center | Rapid City, S.D.
- All-Time Series: UCCS owns a 10-4 all-time record over South Dakota Mines, including 5-2 on the road against the Hardrockers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Playing in their sixth straight match away from home, the Mountain Lions found themselves down early to the Hardrockers, 10-5, in the first set. A UCCS timeout sparked a 5-0 run to knot the set at 10-10. Three SDM errors, a kill from Payton Tompkins and an ace from Sydnee Walker topped off the run. The Mountain Lions were unable to regain the lead until back-to-back kills from Avrey Keim sparked a 5-1 run. After Keim's kills, Tompkins added two kills followed by an ace from Audrey Dowd that gave the Mountain Lions their largest lead of the set, 22-19. The Rockers rallied back from a 24-22 deficit and closed the set on two aces to take the first win, 26-24.
- The Hardrockers held the upper hand in the second set. After not allowing the Mountain Lions to take the lead in the second stanza, SDM took a 2-0 match lead with a 25-20 decision. UCCS posted 14 kills and a respectable .286 hitting mark as Emily Pruitt and Tompkins tallied six and five kills, respectively.
- The Mountain Lions started the third set with a strong opening and a solid 5-2 lead that featured a kill from Rylee Pitts and Pruitt and three SDM errors, but the Hardrockers responded to their deficit and went on a 7-1 run. After taking a 9-6 lead, the home team kept their distance from UCCS to sweep the Mountain Lions on a 25-18 win.
MATCH STATISTICS
- Two Mountain Lions paced the offense with double digit kills. Tompkins posted a team high 12 kills and added seven digs as Pruitt recorded a double-double behind 10 kills and 11 digs.
- Dowd orchestrated the offense, accounting for 23 of UCCS' 35 assists.
- Mackenzie Ransom dug up a team high 14 digs as Walker chipped in 11 digs and nine kills.
- The Mountain Lions hit .187 as a team with 40 kills on 134 attempts.
- South Dakota Mines' Ivy Vindivich led both teams with 14 kills as the Hardrockers finished the match with 50 kills, a .293 hitting mark, 44 assists, seven aces and seven blocks.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Despite the three-set setback, the Mountain Lions posted multiple season highs in a three-set match tonight, including kills (40), attempts (134), digs (61) and assists (35).
- Tompkins tied a season high with 12 kills in a three-set match and her 33 attempts were the second most.
- Ransom's 14 digs also tied an individual season high in a three-set match.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions wrap up their seven-match road trip this Thursday, Sept. 26 at Regis University for a 5 p.m. match. UCCS will then return home the following night at 6 p.m. to host New Mexico Highlands University.
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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.
