PUEBLO, Colo. (Sept. 2, 2022) – (RV) Colorado State University Pueblo volleyball kicked off the Steel City Showcase with a Friday split, as the ThunderWolves swept Wilmington 3-0 and then had the tables turned, falling 3-0 to Dallas Baptist in the evening sequel. The loss snapped a five-match win-streak to start the season and marked the first sweep suffered by the ThunderWolves since early 2021.
 
Match 1 | CSU Pueblo 3 – Wilmington 0
 
The opening match of the day started with a nail-biting first set, but the Pack were able to put their foot on the pedal and put the Wildcats away swiftly in straight sets, 29-27, 25-17, 25-9. Freshman Payton Van Veen led the way offensively with 10 kills while Josey Nunn added defensive support with seven total blocks.
 
Set 1 | Pack 29 – Wildcats 27
 
In the opening set of the morning match, the Pack burst out of the gate hot. The Wildcats were not intimidated by the initial 7-3 Pack advantage though and clawed their way to an 8-7 lead after a 5-0 run.
 
The ThunderWolves then exchanged a handful of modest runs with the Wildcats and the two teams found themselves in a 22-22 stalemate following a Bailey Combs kill. The Wildcats then responded and got to set-point with a 24-23 advantage. 
 
Sadie Scoville thwarted the Wildcats' opportunity with a kill and Van Veen then followed with a kill of her own to get the Pack to set-point. The Wildcats once again put the Pack on the ropes and had an opportunity to take the opening set. 
 
Once again, the Pack responded. Sabrina King snuck in with a kill off an Elaine Thibadeau dig and energized the ThunderWolves attack. After a bad set from Wilmington, Jazzy Espinoza put the frame away for CSU Pueblo with a kill and clinched the thrilling 29-27 set-win.
 
 Set 2 | Pack 25 – Wildcats 17
 
After the ThunderWolves settled in after the opening set grinding victory, the team never looked back. Early on, Nunn logged two total blocks in back-to-back points and allowed the Pack to get out front 4-1.
 
After the Wildcats narrowed the Pack lead to 8-7, Scoville started an aggressive offensive attack for CSU Pueblo. A Scoville kill, followed by an Espinoza ace kickstarted a 6-1 run that gave the Pack a 14-8 lead.
 
A slew of modest runs by kills from the attackers and aces by the ThunderWolves allowed the team put away its second set 25-17. The Pack highlighted the second set with five total blocks and halted the Wildcats attacking momentum gained in the opening frame.
 
Set 3 | Pack 25 – Wildcats 9
 
In the final set of the morning match, the Pack did not mess around with the Wildcats. Van Veen contributed three kills in the first seven points and gave the Pack a 6-1 advantage early. Wilmington attempted to claw back into contention with a modest run to make the set 11-8 in favor of the Pack, but the ThunderWolves had their eyes set on their fourth sweep in five matches.
 
Another Scoville kill kickstarted the Pack's largest run of the season and shut down the Wildcats' hopes of a comeback. The 11-0 run featured kills by Nunn and Scoville to go along with a couple Megan Mattingly aces.
 
When all was final, the Pack enjoyed a 14-1 run in the final 15 points and a Van Veen/Espinoza block put the cherry on top of another CSU Pueblo 3-0 sweep.
 
In the sweep, it was the underclassmen leading the way for the Pack efforts with Van Veen tallying 10 kills and four blocks to go with Scoville's eight kills and three blocks. The sophomore, Nunn totaled seven blocks and five kills to lead the block and was accompanied by the senior Espinoza with four stops at the net.
 
Match 2 | Dallas Baptist 3 – CSU Pueblo 0
 
The final match of the day for the Pack ended the second-best start in program history since 1997, with Dallas Baptitst topping the Pack 3-0, the first sweep suffered by CSU Pueblo since Sept. 11, 2021.
 
Set 1 | Dallas Baptist 25 - CSU Pueblo 20
 
The opening set of the night saw an evenly-match contest with the Pack taking an early 8-6 lead following a couple Van Veen, Hannah Delor and Kendall Harrington kills. The Pack then held the lead through the 23rd point, ahead 13-10 after forcing some Dallas Baptist errors.
 
The Patriots woke up offensively and stormed back after an eventual 5-0 run put them on top of the ThunderWolves 19-16. Despite some long rallies that looked to favor the Pack, the Patriots held off any CSU Pueblo threat.
 
Dallas Baptist took the opening set 25-20 after taking six of the final nine points.
 
Set 2 | Dallas Baptist 25 – CSU Pueblo 20
 
Again, the Pack came out firing with back-to-back Van Veen kills to start the set, leading to an early 5-3 Pack advantage following some help from Combs. The ThunderWolves block once again tried to shut down its opposition but a fired up attack from Dallas Baptist burst through the front line on multiple occasions and prevented the Pack's chance of getting in rhythm.
 
CSU Pueblo's longest run of the night came midway through the set thanks to two kills from Taylor Cary and a Grace Hern ace. A 4-0 spurt from the Pack gave the home squad a match-high three-point advantage but it was not enough to deter the Patriots.
 
A 9-2 surge from the Patriots put the Pack in a corner and sent the ThunderWolves into the third set trailing 2-0, falling 25-20 once again in the second frame.
 
Set 3 | Dallas Baptist 25 – CSU Pueblo 17
 
The ThunderWolves looked for a rally in the third set, but unfortunately the Patriots carried all the momentum. Despite consistent play from Van Veen, earning multiple kills, the Pack struggled to get into a rhythm on offense but held even with the Patriots early on. 
 
A 6-0 run by the Patriots squashed the Pack's hopes of a third-set win, jumping on the CSU Pueblo squad 18-10. Van Veen tried to lead a charge with a 3-0 run which featured her with two more kills and a block assist with Nunn.
 
The spurt was not enough and came too late, as the Patriots put the ThunderWolves away 25-17 in the final set to seal the Pack's fate. 
 
In the loss, the Patriots held the Pack to a .193 hitting percentage while they attacked at a .350 rate. 
 
Van Veen led the day with 20 total kills – 10 in each match, while Nunn totaled 11 total blocks on the defensive side.
 
Up Next
 
The Pack look to bounce back following the Friday split, as the Steel City Showcase concludes Saturday with CSU Pueblo taking on an energetic Davis & Elkins squad at 2 p.m. and then finishing the weekend with a 7 p.m. match-up with an aggressive California State University Monterey Bay team.