DENVER, Colo. - Colorado State University Pueblo volleyball's RMAC Tournament run came to a hard-fought close on Friday evening, as the ThunderWolves fell to UCCS in the semifinals of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament at the Auraria Event Center. The Pack battled the Mountain Lions through three competitive sets but ultimately dropped the match 22-25, 17-25, 25-27.
UCCS, one of the nation's hottest teams, entered the night at 26–2 and displayed that form early. But the Pack answered each punch with stretches of strong offense, long rallies, and late-set momentum swings that kept them within reach throughout the night.
Set one featured 11 ties and five lead changes, with CSU Pueblo matching UCCS swing for swing. The Pack held a 17–16 edge after an ace from Elena Stankovic and trimmed a late deficit to 24–22 before UCCS closed the frame. The second set saw the Mountain Lions create separation through service pressure and steady system play, but CSU Pueblo continued to find its rhythm heading into the third.
In the final set, the Pack refused to go quietly. Trailing 23–20, CSU Pueblo surged back behind kills from Golden Finch and Taylor Cary before a service ace from Cary tied the set at 24–24. The Pack forced UCCS into a timeout and had the crowd buzzing, but the Mountain Lions secured the final two points to survive a furious CSU Pueblo rally.
Finch delivered one of the best individual performances of the tournament, posting 11 kills on .733 hitting with no errors. She was the most efficient attacker on either side and provided momentum every time the Pack needed a lift. Finja Schul added eight kills on .286 hitting, while Lily Zwart chipped in seven kills and a block.
Setter Elena Stankovic finished with 32 assists, six digs, a block assist, and a service ace, guiding an offense that produced 17 kills in the third set—the Pack's best frame of the night.
Libero Megan Mattingly anchored the back row with 18 digs, while Caelyn Gunn added eight digs and seven kills. Cary and Schul contributed at the net defensively, combining for multiple key stops across the match.
CSU Pueblo now turns its attention to the NCAA Tournament picture. The ThunderWolves entered the week ranked sixth in the NCAA South Central Regional rankings and remain firmly in contention for an at-large berth.
The NCAA Division II Volleyball Selection Show is scheduled for Monday at 7:30 p.m. EST, where the Pack will learn whether their season continues on the national stage.
