DENVER, Colo. – Playing in just their second-ever NCAA postseason match in program history, the No. 2 seed University of Colorado Colorado Springs volleyball team's season came to an end Thursday after falling, 3-2, to No. 7 seed Colorado School of Mines in the NCAA South Central Regional quarterfinal, hosted by No. 1 seed Metropolitan State University of Denver.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP

• Final Score: L, 2-3 (25-22, 12-25, 25-17, 20-25, 12-15)
• Records: UCCS (26-4, 13-1 RMAC) | CSM (21-7, 10-4 RMAC)
• Facility | Location: MSUD Auraria Event Center | Denver, Colo.
• All-Time Series: UCCS is 27-32 all-time against the Orediggers, including a 3-3 record when facing CSM on a neutral-site court.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• UCCS jumped out to a quick 4-0 start against the Orediggers after Sydney Hyde put down back-to-back kills before Sydnee Walker served up two straight aces.  The Orediggers responded with three straight points before Maylen Mitrovich connected with Payton Tompkins for a kill that ended the mini run.  Tompkins' kill sparked a 6-0 run from UCCS that saw three Mountain Lions put down kills and a block from Rylee Pitts and Nicole Martin that extended UCCS' lead to 13-5.  Holding onto a five-point lead, 20-15, the Orediggers rattled off three straight points to cut into the lead, 20-18, forcing the Mountain Lions to use their first timeout of the set.  Coming out of the timeout, Martin gave UCCS a three-point lead with a kill, but three straight points by Mines tied the set for the first time of the morning, 21-21.  Kills from the hands of Rylee Pitts and Tompkins gave the black and gold set point as the Orediggers called their second and final timeout of the set down 24-22.  Walker put the set away when she received a dig-set from libero Mackenzie Ransom on the left side.  Walker received the pass and lightly touched it over the hands of Mines' blockers at the net to seal the win, 25-22.
• It was the Orediggers who jumped out to an early lead in the second set, putting UCCS in a 7-1 deficit that featured three aces from Mines.  Trailing 15-5, Hyde went up for a solo block in the middle of the net to stop Mines' 4-1 run.  After Hyde's solo block, Walker served her third ace of the match before Tompkins topped off UCCS' third straight point to bring UCCS within seven of the Orediggers, 15-8.  The Mountain Lions were unable to dig out of the deficit as Mines outscored UCCS 7-2 to end the second set and tie the match at 1-1.
• Both teams battled back and forth in set three.  In the first half of the set, which saw eight ties and three lead changes as neither team led by more than two points, the Mountain Lions used a 3-1 run to take a 15-13 lead into the media timeout as Mitrovich set up Tompkins and Pitts for two kills that gave UCCS the two-point lead.  The Orediggers' Jenna McLaughlin tallied a point off a kill for CSM out of the timeout, but three Mountain Lions notched three kills before Hyde and Tompkins paired up to block a Mines attack, capping off a 4-1 run that pushed UCCS' lead to four, 19-15.  The Mountain Lions owned the end of set three, forcing CSM to commit two errors as two kills from Tompkins and another from Martin gave UCCS set point, 24-17.  After a CSM called a timeout, Ransom went to the line and served set point, making the Orediggers get out of rotation and commit an attacking error, capping off a 6-0 run and giving UCCS the 2-1 match lead, 25-17.
• Martin assisted on back-to-back blocks for UCCS that helped the second seed to a 3-1 lead in the fourth set.  The lead was exasperated as Mines used a 6-1 run to take their first lead of the set, 7-4.  Down four to CSM, 10-6, Audrey Dowd dumped a set over the net that started a 4-1 run to bring UCCS within one of the Orediggers, 11-10.  The one-point difference is as close as UCCS would come to CSM, as five errors by the Mountain Lions in the following rallies pushed the Orediggers' lead to five, 19-14, before UCCS called a timeout to regroup.  Despite a mini 3-0 run that nearly caught the Orediggers, 22-20, Mines ended the set with two kills and a block to take the win 25-20 and force a fifth set.
• A kill from Hyde tied the fifth set at 2-2 before Tompkins and Martin paired up for a block to put UCCS on top, 3-2.  A Mountain Lions service error broke a 4-4 tie, and Mines used a 4-1 run to snag an 8-5 lead halfway through the deciding set.  Martin struck down a kill on the back line to bring UCCS within three, 9-6, before Hyde's kill and two straight CSM attack errors brought the Mountain Lions back within one, 10-9.  Head coach Tara Hittle called her second time of the set as UCCS was looking at a 13-11 shortfall, but the Mountain Lions couldn't overcome the hole, falling to Colorado School of Mines in five sets, 15-12.

 
MATCH STATISTICS

• Tompkins recorded a team high 14 kills and added 10 digs.
• Martin assisted on six blocks and added a solo stop to go with her 10 kills and .304 hitting mark.
• Dowd dished up 20 assists and dug up 14 attacks.
• Mitrovich finished the match with four kills, 19 assists, two aces, and eight digs.
• UCCS hit .113 on the day with 51 kills, five aces and 10 blocks.
• The Orediggers were led by McLaughlin's 16 kills and .262 attack percentage.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• The last time UCCS competed in the NCAA regional tournament was in 2007.
• The Mountain Lions are 0-2 all-time in the NCAA postseason.

 
UP NEXT

• UCCS ends its historic season with a 26-4 record.

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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.  Read Full Article