PUEBLO, Colo. (March 20, 2021) – The Colorado State University Pueblo Volleyball team knocked off not one, but two nationally ranked opponents Saturday at Massari Arena. The ThunderWolves swept No. 5 Colorado School of Mines and then defeated No. 21 Regis University in four sets.
The ThunderWolves (9-3, 7-2 RMAC) recorded their second and third wins against a nationally ranked opponent this spring season after defeating Regis in the season opener when the Rangers ranked fifth.
Postgame Comments
Versus Mines
Mines entered the day 8-1 and in those nine matches had only lost eight total sets. The Pack won 25-22, 25-17 and then rolled to victory with a 25-10 set three win to seal the upset. CSU Pueblo hit .306 in the match and held the Orediggers to a .150 hitting percentage. The home team had nine service aces and totaled 56 digs to Mines' 43.
Maddy Wisniewski (Sr., Highlands Ranch, Colo.) led the team with 12 kills, as she hit .611 for the match.
Megan Mattingly (Fr., Phoenix, Ariz.) totaled 10 kills and added seven digs, two assists and two aces.
Jazzy Espinoza (Sr., Cheyenne, Wyo.) recorded 11.5 points with seven kills, four aces and a block assist.
Grace Jansen (So., South Jordan, Utah) finished with 19 assists and six digs, while
Grace Hern (Jr., Omaha, Neb.) totaled 15 assists and five digs.
Elaine Thibadeau (Jr., Monument, Colo.) had 17 digs to lead the ThunderWolves.
In the match, CSU Pueblo never trailed Mines by more than a point and it was only on two occasions. The teams were tied 15-15 in the first set, but a 3-0 run by the Pack created separation and the home team never gave up the lead. In set two a 6-2 run in the middle of the set helped the ThunderWolves to a 21-13 lead, en route to taking a 2-0 advantage in the match. In set three, a 7-0 run by CSU Pueblo made the score 20-9, as the Pack cruised to the sweep of the top five team.
Against Regis
The rematch with Regis (9-4, 9-2 RMAC) was a battle to the end, as the set scores read 25-21, 20-25, 25-20 and 25-22. Both teams struggled on offense, as the Rangers posted a .185 hitting percentage and the Pack recorded a .146 percentage. CSU Pueblo produced nine aces for the second straight match.
Stack had 10 kills and hit .400, while Wisniewski had 10 kills and also chipped in three block assists.
Espinoza tallied eight kills and was in on five block assists.
Grace Miles (Sr., Parker, Colo.) brought a spark off the bench with four kills and a .333 hitting percentage.
Hern had 17 assists with five digs and Jansen totaled 15 assists with nine digs. Hern also added a pair of kills.
Thibadeau totaled 10 digs and had four services aces. Mattingly led the team with 14 digs, as she also had four kills, two block assists, an ace and an assist.
In the first set the teams were tied 19-19, but a 4-0 run by the Pack led to the 25-21 victory. The ThunderWolves scored the first three points of the second set and led 10-7, but a 6-1 by Regis handed the road team a lead it wouldn't relinquish to knot the contest 1-1. The Rangers held a slim 12-11 lead in set three, but a 6-1 run by the Pack had them up 17-13. As Regis started to work its way back into the set, CSU Pueblo produced a 4-0 run to lead 22-15. The ThunderWolves finished the set off 25-20 to open the 2-1 match lead. Set four was a back-and-forth affair with each team trading runs. The final run would be the one that counted the most, as CSU Pueblo erased a 21-19 deficit with a 4-0 run to open a 23-21 lead. After giving up a point, the Pack slammed the door with two straight points to post a second win against the Rangers this season.
Up Next
The Pack closes the regular season at home March 26 and March 28 against University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Black Hills State University. CSU Pueblo hosts the Mountain Lions at 7 p.m. Friday and welcomes the Yellow Jackets at 4 p.m. Sunday.
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