Box Score LAS VEGAS, N.M. (October 1, 2021) – The Colorado State University Pueblo volleyball team walked away with a thrilling five set road win over New Mexico Highlands on Friday night.
 
In what started out looking like a dominant win for the ThunderWolves (10-3, 4-1 RMAC), took a twist that saw the Pack have to work for their fourth RMAC win of the season.
 
The Cowgirls (5-10, 1-4 RMAC) took an early 3-0 lead in the first set as the ThunderWolves quickly caught up with a kill and a block from Jazzy Espinoza (Jr., Cheyenne, Wyo.) to bring the Pack within one. The teams traded points before four straight points, which were highlighted by a Megan Mattingly (Fr., Phoenix, Ariz.) ace and Hannah Delor (Jr., Marysville, Mich.) kill, gave the ThunderWolves a 9-6 lead.
 
The Pack and Cowgirls then traded points again before the Cowgirls used their own four-point swing to take a 13-12 lead, but the Pack didn't give in. A solo block followed by a kill from Espinoza gave the ThunderWolves a 15-13 lead.
 
Again, the two teams would trade points to 23-23 before back-to-back kills by Espinoza and Kasey Jahnke (So., Glendale, Ariz.) gave the Pack a 25-23 win in set one.
 
Set number two started out back and forth before the Pack used seven unanswered points from the Cowgirls to take a 16-10 lead, however, three straight kills by NMHU and an attacking error by Milicia Djukic (Jr., Belgrade, Serbia) brought the Cowgirls within a point.
 
The Pack the capitalized on two Cowgirl errors late in the set to walk away with a three-point, 25-22 win in set two.
 
The ThunderWolves used the momentum to jump out to a 4-0 lead before the Cowgirls defense stepped up in the third set to hold the ThunderWolves to .200 and .029 hitting percentages in the third and fourth sets. The Pack found themselves up 24-23 in set three but failed to connect on two kill attempts before an NMHU Angelina Oliver kill gave the Cowgirls a 26-24 win in set three.
 
It was now the Cowgirls turn to use the momentum as they took an early 9-3 lead over the ThunderWolves, and never looked back. The ThunderWolves fought hard to come back and tie the game at 21, but the Cowgirls used four straight points to take a 25-21 win and send the game to a fifth set.
 
With the momentum on the Cowgirls side, the ThunderWolves found a way stay within striking distance in the fifth set, before three kills from Espinoza, Djukic, and Payton Stack (Sr., Casper, Wyo.) gave the Pack an 11-10 advantage.
 
Two consecutive kills from Espinoza and Delor pushed the ThunderWolves to walk out of Las Vegas with a 15-13 win in set five, and a 3-2 win over the Cowgirls.
 
Espinoza led both teams in kills (17), aces (3), and blocks (6), while teammate Grace Hern (Jr., Omaha, Neb.) led the team in assists (36) and digs (13). On the right-side, Stack finished the game with 12 kills and 3 blocks while libero Elaine Thibadeau (Jr., Monument, Colo.) tallied 12 digs and 2 service aces.
 
The ThunderWolves will continue the road trip with an RMAC showdown against Adams State slated for 6 p.m. tomorrow night. Live stats and live stream will be available at gothunderwolves.com.