SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (March 6, 2021) – Colorado State University Pueblo Volleyball dominated its pod with South Dakota Mines and Westminster College. The ThunderWolves did not lose a set, sweeping the Hardrockers (25-21, 28-26, 25-12) and the Griffins (25-17, 25-17, 25-15).

The Pack improved to 6-2. They now boast a 4-1 record in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play.
 
Coach Albers Quote:
"Our ladies did a great job of understanding the scout and finding a way," said CSU Pueblo Head Volleyball Coach Austin Albers. "It wasn't flawless and we have areas to improve, but in both matches we scored it well out of the middle and caused problems from the serve line, two of our biggest points of emphasis going into the weekend.

"Our staff was really pleased with our maturity in how we handled another long travel weekend. We're starting to get more familiar with how to handle the pod scheduling and how to manage the day."
 
Individual Highlights:
Maddy Wisniewski (Sr., Highlands Ranch, Colo.) led the Pack in kills in both matches. Wisniewski knocked down 11 kills and hit .391 against the Hardrockers and totaled nine kills against the Griffins. She finished with three blocks. Wisniewski delivered a .348 hitting percentage between the two matches.
 
Jazzy Espinoza (Jr., Cheyenne, Wyo.) hit an incredible .667 between the two matches. Espinoza totaled 15 kills including nine against the Hardrockers. She hit .750 in the win over the Griffins.
 
Elaine Thibadeau (Jr., Monument, Colo.) averaged 6.67 digs per set. The reigning RMAC Defensive Player of the Week set a career-high with 26 digs against the Griffins, an average of 8.67 digs per set. Thibadeau had four aces on the day.
 
Payton Stack (Sr., Casper, Wyo.) swatted 10 blocks between the two matches. Stack dominated the Griffins with six blocks including two solo rejections. She also batted down six kills and hit .462 in the win over the Griffins.
 
Grace Hern (Jr., Omaha, Neb.) achieved a double-double in the win over the Hardrockers. She had 13 assists and 11 digs. The double-double was Hern's second of the season as she added five kills in that match. She led the Pack with 15 assists in match two.
 
Match Summaries:
The Pack hit .212, while holding the Hardrockers to a .000 hitting percentage for the match. They used a 5-1 run to take 20-15 lead in set one that propelled them to a 25-21 set win.
 
In set two, the Hardrockers took a 20-17 lead thanks to a 4-0 run. The Pack answered with three in a row to tie it. The Hardrockers forced extra volleyball. Facing set point, Wisniewski knocked down a kill to keep the Pack alive. The Pack scored the next two points to win set two 28-26.
 
The Pack used a 9-0 run in set three to take a 21-11 lead. They closed out the Hardrockers 25-13.
 
In their second match, the Pack outhit the Griffins .286  to .057. The Pack used a 4-0 run to take a 14-8 lead. They led by as many as nine en route to a 25-17 set victory. The Pack won set two by the same score.
 
They held the Griffins to a -.129 hitting percentage in set three. An 8-1 run put the Pack up 21-13 in the final set. The ThunderWolves won the final set 25-15.

Up Next:
The Pack will wrap up its road trip Thursday with a visit to Adams State University. The ThunderWolves and Grizzlies will serve it up at 6 p.m. 
 
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