DENVER, Colo. – Playing in their first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament Championship match since 2007, the No. 2 seed University of Colorado Colorado Springs volleyball team fell in three sets to No. 9 and top seed Metropolitan State University of Denver Saturday night in Denver, Colo.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
- Final Score: L, 3-0 (18-25, 23-25, 19-25)
- Records: UCCS (26-3, 13-1 RMAC) | No. 9 (26-3, 13-1 RMAC)
- Facility | Location: MSUD Auraria Event Center | Denver, Colo.
- All-Time Series: MSU Denver has a 50-6 advantage over UCCS in the all-time series, including a 28-1 record on the Roadrunners home court.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- A service error and then an attack error, followed by a kill from Sydney Hyde started the action off for UCCS Saturday night with a 3-0 lead. The Mountain Lions added two more kills from Hyde and Kinley Gomez followed by a block from Hyde and Sydnee Walker for a mini 3-0 run that gave UCCS a 7-3 lead and forced the home team to call a timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the Roadrunners knotted the game at 7-7 behind two kills, an ace from Annika Helf, and a UCCS error. UCCS bumped their lead to 9-7 after a service error from Helf and a block from Nicole Martin and Gomez, but the Roadrunners responded with 7-0 run to take a 14-9 lead. UCCS was able to chip into the lead after Martin put down a kill and then added a solo block before MSUD committed two attacking errors, bringing UCCS within one point, 14-13. The one-point deficit would be as close as UCCS would get to the No. 1 seed, as the Roadrunners outscored UCCS 7-1 to end the opening set, 25-18.
- Opposite of set one, the Roadrunners built an early 3-0 lead in set two, but then committed three straight errors to tie the action, 3-3. The Roadrunners built up a 15-9 lead before committing another attacking error, followed by a kill from Walker to cut the deficit down, making MSU Denver use a timeout. Out of the timeout, Martin served an ace as Hyde and Michelle Fredrick blocked the next attack from MSU. Trailing by two, 15-13, the No. 2 seed Mountain Lions kept clawing back into the home team's lead. Still trailing by two, the Mountain Lions strung together a 6-2 run to take their first lead of the set, 21-20, but the home team prevailed to win set two, 25-23, as the blue and red used three kills, a block, and an attacking error from UCCS to help take the 2-0 match lead.
- Down early again in set three, 4-1, the Mountain Lions hammered past MSU Denver to snag a 7-5 lead. UCCS' 6-1 run was highlighted by four kills from three Mountain Lions, including back-to-back kills from Walker. The Roadrunners' 17-14 lead dissipated after Walker, Martin, and two kills from Gomez knotted the set at 18-18, but the ninth-ranked Roadrunners handed UCCS a 3-0 setback after taking set three, 25-19.
MATCH STATISTICS
- Gomez led the offensive effort at the net with a team-high eight kills on 27 attempts.
- Walker chipped in six kills and dug up six attacks.
- Mitrovich finished the match with 11 assists, an ace, and nine digs.
- UCCS posted 28 kills and hit .103 on the night, while recording 116 attacks.
- The Roadrunners accounted for eight aces, eight digs, and put down 42 kills.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Gomez and Martin were voted to the 2025 RMAC All-Tournament Team.
- The Mountain Lions' 14-match winning streak was snapped tonight. The last time UCCS suffered a loss was Oct. 7 at MSU Denver (L, 3-0).
- UCCS is 15-2 in three-set matches.
- MSU Denver held UCCS to a season low of 28 kills and 23 assists.
UP NEXT
- UCCS will await its seed in the NCAA postseason tournament. The 64-team bracket will be announced on Monday, Nov. 24 at 5:30 p.m. (MT) on ncaa.com.
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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.
