PUEBLO, Colo. - The Colorado State University Pueblo Volleyball Team remain perfect in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play, after an electric win on So Long Summer Night, defeating the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs three games to none.

With the win, the ThunderWolves improve to 10-3 overall, and remain 4-0 in RMAC play, while the Mountain Lions from UCCS fall to 7-6 overall, and 2-2 in RMAC play.

The Pack tore up the stat sheet against a solid UCCS team, sharing the love across all categories.

Kaitlyn Hall (Colorado Springs, Colo./Falcon) led the way for the Pack in kills with 11, hitting an outstanding .588.

Rayliene Joens (Elkhorn, Neb./Winona State) might have had her breakout game as a member of Austin Albers squad, finally getting to full strength, as the senior had 10 kills, while hitting .643.

2023 All-American Sadie Scoville (Pleasant Grove, Utah/Pleasant Grove) did her thing, as the junior had 10 kills, while hitting .333.

Freshman Hallie Hewlett (Bountiful, Utah/Bountiful) continues to impress, as the Utah native led the way for the Pack in assists with 20, while Kendall Schmitz (Lee's Summit, Mo./Arkansas-Fort Smith) continued to be a weapon off the bench for Albers, recording 16 assists. 

ABOUT THE WIN

CSU Pueblo fed off their crowd and never let their foot off the gas. The Pack and Mountain Lions were tied at 14-14 in the first set, but rallied off five straight points with a service ace from Megan Mattingly (Phoenix, Ariz./Greenway) to begin the rally. 

Macy Wood (Sandy, Utah/Alta), and Scoville polished off the Mountain Lions with two kills to end the set, eventually taking the first 25-20.

UCCS responded in the second set, taking an early 6-2 lead, which prompted Albers to take a timeout. 

CSU Pueblo rallied to tie the game, clawing their way back to a 12-12 tie with a service ace from Wood, and a kill from Hall. The ThunderWolves took their first lead of the second set when Natalie Hamann (Mounument, Colo./Lewis Palmer) delivered another service ace to give the Pack a 16-15 lead.

Hamann's ace was the spark the ThunderWolves needed in the second set, sparking a 7-1 run for CSU Pueblo, extending their lead to 23-17. At that point, the set was lost for UCCS, and the ThunderWolves won the second 25-19. 

Up two games to none, CSU Pueblo had taken the life out of the Mountain Lions, mostly due in part to the rowdy crowd celebrating So Long Summer. 

The Pack opened up the third set with a 10-4 lead, which was too big of a hole for the Mountain Lions to claw out of. Up 17-12 late in the set, Golden Finch (Albuquerque, N.M./Cal State Bakersfield) was inserted into the match and hit the ball of the night, delivering an electric kill that took the life out of the Mountain Lions.

CSU Pueblo eventually took the third and final set 25-15.

WORDS FROM HEAD COACH AUSTIN ALBERS

"We knew we had a tough opponent coming into town and we need to show up and play well to defend out home court. As always, our fans showed out for our annual So Long Summer match and helped create an energetic atmoshpere that our team thrives on." Albers also said, "I thought we executed well as we got deeper into each set and I am proud of the way we finished sets from the serve line."