Colorado Springs, Colo. - The Colorado State University Pueblo volleyball team dropped its second straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference match Friday night, falling to UCCS in straight sets (26-24, 25-20, 25-20) inside the Gallogly Events Center.
The loss moves the ThunderWolves to 13-6 overall and 7-2 in RMAC play, while UCCS improves to 17-2 and 8-1 in conference action.
After a thrilling five-set comeback win over the Mountain Lions earlier this season in Pueblo, the Pack couldn't repeat the magic on the road. CSU Pueblo battled closely in the opening set, erasing a six-point deficit to tie things at 24-24 before UCCS secured the final two points to take a narrow 26-24 win. The hosts used that momentum to control the next two frames and complete the sweep.
Senior middle blocker Golden Finch led the Pack with 10 kills on .381 hitting, while also adding three blocks to total 11.5 points. Senior outside hitter Caelyn Gunn added six kills and eight digs, and setter Elena Stankovic recorded 22 assists and 11 digs for a double-double performance. Finja Schul finished with four kills and four total blocks, and libero Chinaru Inoue tallied a team-high 13 digs.
As a team, CSU Pueblo hit .044 on the night with 31 kills, 43 digs, and eight total blocks. The Pack had opportunities late in each set but struggled to sustain long scoring runs, while UCCS used steady play at the net and consistent serve pressure to pull away in key moments.
UCCS was led by outside hitter Payton Tompkins, who posted a match-high 10 kills on .269 hitting and added eight digs. Teammate Nicole Martin contributed eight kills and seven blocks, and Sydney Hyde hit .600 with six kills. Setter Audrey Dowd dished out 20 assists, and Maylen Mitrovich added 14 more to orchestrate an efficient Mountain Lion attack that hit .217 as a team and out-blocked the Pack 10-8.
The Pack showed fight throughout, particularly in the first and third sets, where they kept the score within striking distance deep into each frame. However, UCCS's front-row defense proved to be the difference, holding CSU Pueblo's top hitters in check down the stretch.
With the defeat, the ThunderWolves will look to regroup as they continue their challenging road swing. CSU Pueblo is set to face nationally ranked No. 12 MSU Denver on Saturday afternoon in a marquee RMAC matchup.
