PUEBLO, Colo. – With her first kill of the night, junior outside hitter
Payton Tompkins recorded her 1,000
th career kill to lead the University of Colorado Colorado Springs volleyball team to a 3-1 win at Colorado State University Pueblo Friday night.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
- Final Score: W, 3-1 (25-20, 25-21, 21-25, 25-22)
- Records: UCCS (13-6, 8-1 RMAC) | CSUP (9-11, 4-4 RMAC)
- Facility | Location: Massari Arena | Pueblo, Colo.
- All-Time Series: UCCS is now 34-36 all-time against CSU Pueblo, and 14-17 when facing the ThunderWolves on their home court.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UCCS took a 1-0 lead to start the match when Charlette Albers set up Sydney Hyde for a kill. Five rallies later, Aubrey Miller set up Payton Tompkins for a kill, giving Tompkins her 1,000th career kill. CSU Pueblo matched UCCS point-for-point early in the set, but the Mountain Lions maintained the lead throughout the opening frame. With the score tied at 6-6, UCCS went on a 6-2 run, aided by four CSUP errors, to take a 12-8 lead. UCCS added another 4-0 run, with kills from Sydnee Walker and Sydni Lafasciano, before Hyde recorded a solo block for a 20-14 advantage. CSUP cut the deficit to 22-20, but Tompkins recorded back-to-back kills to extend the lead to 24-20. Alysse Marcoso followed with an ace to give UCCS the 25-20 set win.
- Tompkins opened the second set with a kill and an ace as UCCS snagged a 4-2 lead. CSUP responded with a 4-1 run to take its first lead of the match at 6-5. UCCS regained the lead after kills from Walker, Hyde and Tompkins, followed by a block from Hyde and Tompkins, to make it 9-7. The Mountain Lions extended their lead to 13-9 with a 4-1 run before CSUP tied the set at 15-15. CSUP took a 20-19 lead late in the set before Albers recorded two assists, with kills from Nicole Himebauch and Michelle Frederick, to put UCCS ahead. Albers and Tompkins connected again to give UCCS a 23-20 lead. Tompkins then recorded her 12th kill of the match to close out the set, 25-21, and give UCCS a 2-0 lead.
- CSU Pueblo avoided a sweep with a 25-21 win in the third set. UCCS fell behind 3-1 before a block from Himebauch and Michelle Frederick, a Himebauch kill and an ace from Miller tied the set at 3-3. The ThunderWolves regained the lead and held a 9-6 advantage before three CSUP errors and a solo block from Hyde brought UCCS within one at 11-10. CSUP led 15-11 at the media timeout and maintained the lead through the remainder of the set. UCCS faced set point at 24-18 before a CSUP error and three kills from Frederick and Tompkins cut the deficit to 24-21. The ThunderWolves closed out the set on the next rally, 25-21.
- The fourth set featured four lead changes in the opening points. UCCS trailed 7-5 before an ace from Walker, a solo block from Hyde and three CSUP errors put the Mountain Lions ahead, 10-8. After the ThunderWolves tied the set at 10-10, Himebauch recorded a kill and a solo block during a 4-0 UCCS run that gave the Mountain Lions a 14-10 lead. Hyde added a kill later in the set to extend the lead to 20-15 and force a CSUP timeout. UCCS extended its lead to 22-17 following the timeout, with Albers connecting with Hyde and Frederick for kills. The Mountain Lions reached match point at 24-19 before CSUP scored three consecutive points to cut the lead to 24-22. UCCS head coach Tara Hittle called timeout, and Himebauch ended the run with a tip on the ensuing rally to give the Mountain Lions a 25-22 set win and a 3-1 match victory.
MATCH STATISTICS
- Tompkins posted a team high 17 kills on 56 attempts and added 17 digs and an ace.
- Himebauch registered 10 kills and chipped in eight digs and two blocks.
- Hyde finished the night with six blocks, three of them solo, seven kills and six digs.
- Tori Greeney dug up 15 attacks and Marcoso led the team with 19 digs.
- Albers and Miller paced the offense, collected 21 and 18 assists, respectively.
- UCCS out-performed the Pack in kills (51-50), hitting percentage (.158 - .088), aces (5-4), and assists (47-46).
- The ThunderWolves Lilly Zwart led all players with 18 kills as teammate Chinaru Pao posted a match high 25 digs.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- UCCS moves to 5-3 this season in four-set matches.
- Tonight's win gives the Mountain Lions four points toward the Steel and Silver standings, as UCCS owns an 8-0 early in the season.
- The last time UCCS defeated the Pack in Pueblo was Oct. 5, 2018. Tonight's win snapped a six-match losing streak at CSUP.
- Tompkins is the ninth player in UCCS history to record 1,000 kills. She currently sits ninth all-time with 1,016 career kills, and is just three kills away from moving into eighth place.
- Greeney recorded a career high 15 digs as Himebauch set a new career high in digs (eight).
- Hyde's three solo blocks tie her career high in two seasons.
- The Mountain Lions 184 attempts are the most this season in a four-set match, while the 91 digs set a new season high.
- Tompkins added a season high in attempts (56) and Marcoso's 19 digs are a new season high by any Mountain Lion in a four-set match this season.
UP NEXT
- UCCS will head North to Lakewood, Colo. tomorrow to take on Colorado Christian University at 3 p.m.
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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.
