PUEBLO, Colo. (Nov. 22, 2021) – For the third time in program history and the first time since the 1997 season, the Colorado State University Pueblo volleyball team clinched a spot in the 2021 NCAA Tournament with a matchup against top-ranked MSU Denver.
 
The ThunderWolves enter the tournament with a 20-8 overall record while finishing 5th in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with a 13-5 conference record. This also marks the first time the ThunderWolves won 20+ games in a season since 1997 when the Pack went 24-9 and 14-4 in league play and finished 2nd in the RMAC.
 
"It's been a nerve racking few days coming off a competitive match on Friday night and then playing the waiting game to see of our season would indeed continue" state head coach Austin Albers. "But it allowed us a couple of well-deserved rest days for the team and staff so that we're ready to get back to work to prepare for the tournament".

The ThunderWolves have established themselves as a defensive minded squad this season, ranking 2nd in the RMAC in blocks per set (2.17) and have registered 215 total blocks.
 
Jazzy Espinoza (Jr., Cheyenne, Wyo.) earned All-RMAC 1st-Team honors and ranks 1st in the conference and 30th in the nation with 1.12 blocks per set and 2nd in the league with 111 blocks in conference play.
 
The dominating duo in the right-side is made up of Payton Stack (Sr., Casper, Wyo.) and Maddy Wisniewski (Sr., Highlands Ranch, Colo.). Stack leads the ThunderWolves with 280 kills on the season and has also tallied 80 blocks and 36 digs. Wisniewski has registered 152 kills on the season with 41 digs and 38 blocks and was named to the RMAC All-Tournament team as the senior put down a season-high 14 kills against Regis to lead the Pack to a 3-2 win and 13 kills against No.1 MSU Denver. The duo has helped the Pack lead the conference in opposite hitting percentage at 0.154.
 
MSU Denver earned the top seed of the region with 26-3 overall and 18-0 conference record and will host the first three rounds of the regional tournament. The Roadrunners had been ranked as the nation top team for five weeks before losing to Colorado School of Mines in the RMAC Championship this past Saturday.
 
This marks the fourth time this season the two teams will meet as the Roadrunners have won all four matches thus far. The first matchup at Massari Arena on Sept. 25th saw the ThunderWolves drop match point in the fifth set twice to lose 3-2 while dropping the next two games on the road in four sets. The Pack lost a heartbreaker in the semifinal match of the RMAC tournament to MSU Denver after winning the first set and dropping the next three 27-29, 18-25, and 23-25.
 
"As far as matchup, we drew the most familiar opponent in the bracket" Albers continued. "We know they're a great team, but we've also proven that we can challenge them. Seeding and matchups aren't the primary focus at this point. We're all 0-0 going in to round one and our focus will be 100% on preparing to go 1-0 and bringing our best stuff on the biggest stage".
 
The first round of the NCAA Regional Tournament will be played on Dec. 2nd on the campus of MSU Denver at the Auraria Event Center in Denver. Other first-round matchups on Dec. 2nd include No. 2 seed Mines vs. No. 7 seed West Texas A&M, No. 3 seed Colorado Mesa vs. No. 6 seed Texas-Tyler, and No.4 seed Angelo State vs. No. 5 seed Regis.

The regional winner advances to the national quarterfinals in Tampa, Fla. On Dec. 9th-11th.