PUEBLO, Colo. (Oct. 16, 2026) – Despite a strong offensive performance from senior Lilly Zwart and a third-set victory, the Colorado State University Pueblo volleyball team fell in four sets to the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) on Friday evening inside Massari Arena as part of the ThunderWolves' Homecoming Weekend festivities and Student-Athlete Night.
The Mountain Lions (13-6, 8-1 RMAC) claimed the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference matchup by scores of 25-20, 25-21, 21-25 and 25-22, dropping the ThunderWolves to 9-11 overall and 4-5 in conference play.
Zwart paced the Pack offensively with a match-high 18 kills on 41 attempts, hitting an impressive .341 while adding three block assists. Sophomore Brianna Pino provided another strong offensive outing, finishing with 15 kills, 10 digs and two total blocks to record a double-double.
Junior middle blocker Finja Schul contributed eight kills, four block assists and one service ace, while fellow middle blocker Andi Nothdurft added four block assists.
Defensively, senior Chinaru Pao anchored the back row with a match-high 25 digs and six assists. The ThunderWolves also received 10 digs apiece from Pino, Kendall Schmitz, Madison Gardner and Kacee Garcia.
Gardner directed the offense with a team-high 24 assists, while Schmitz contributed 15 assists, 10 digs and a service ace.
The opening set featured several early exchanges before UCCS began to create separation. With the Mountain Lions holding a 13-12 advantage, UCCS extended its lead to 20-14 behind a balanced offensive attack.
The Pack battled back with three consecutive points to trim the deficit to 20-17 before eventually pulling within two points at 22-20. However, UCCS responded with the final three points to secure the opening frame, 25-20.
In the second set, CSU Pueblo continued to battle against one of the top teams in the RMAC. After trailing 13-9, the ThunderWolves rallied behind kills from Zwart and Pino, eventually evening the score at 14-14.
The two teams continued to trade points before the Pack grabbed a 20-19 advantage following a kill from Emma Luce. Unfortunately, UCCS responded by scoring six of the final seven points to take the second set, 25-21, and build a 2-0 match lead.
Facing a two-set deficit, the ThunderWolves responded with their strongest performance of the evening in the third frame.
CSU Pueblo jumped out to an early 8-5 advantage before extending its lead to 14-10. The Pack continued to build momentum behind timely kills from Zwart and Pino, along with a strong presence at the net from Nothdurft.
A Zwart kill pushed the ThunderWolves' lead to 18-11, while a block from Nothdurft and Pino later gave CSU Pueblo a 20-13 advantage.
The Mountain Lions attempted to mount a late comeback, cutting the deficit to 24-21, but Pino delivered the set-clinching kill to give the ThunderWolves a 25-21 victory and force a fourth set.
Looking to extend the match, CSU Pueblo carried its momentum into the fourth frame, grabbing an early 7-5 advantage behind a pair of kills from Zwart.
UCCS responded with a run of its own and eventually established a 14-10 lead. The Mountain Lions continued to apply pressure, extending their advantage to five points late in the frame.
The ThunderWolves refused to go away quietly, fighting off multiple match points and trimming the deficit to 24-22. However, UCCS collected the final point to secure the 25-22 set victory and the four-set conference win.
For the match, CSU Pueblo finished with 47 kills, 92 digs, nine total blocks and three service aces. The Mountain Lions recorded 51 kills, 91 digs and eight total blocks while finishing with a .158 hitting percentage compared to the Pack's .088.
UCCS was led offensively by Payton Tompkins, who finished with 17 kills and 17 digs, while Nicole Himebauch added 10 kills. Sydney Hyde contributed seven kills and six total blocks for the Mountain Lions.
Despite the setback, the ThunderWolves held a 9-8 advantage in total blocks and a narrow 92-91 edge in digs.
UP NEXT
The ThunderWolves return to action on Saturday, Oct. 17, as they welcome defending NCAA Division II National Champion MSU Denver to Massari Arena for another important RMAC matchup.
Saturday's contest will serve as White Out Night, with fans encouraged to wear white as the Pack continues its Homecoming Weekend schedule against the nationally recognized Roadrunners.
