SAN ANGELO, Texas – Colorado State University Pueblo volleyball opened the 2026 season here Friday afternoon by rallying from a 2-1 deficit to post a five-set victory over East Central (20-25, 25-12, 23-25, 25-15, 15-13) in its opening match of the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational hosted by Angelo State University at the Junell Center/Stephens Arena.
The victory, which improved to Pack to 4-0 in five-set matches since the beginning of last season, allowed the ThunderWolves to open the season 1-0 and gave second-year head coach
Jordan Bruere a win in the Pack's season opener for the first time in her tenure.
The Pack used a balanced offensive attack in Friday afternoon's victory as junior outside hitter
Emma Luce (Meeker, Colo./Colorado Mesa) and senior right side hitter
Lilly Zwart (Nelson, New Zealand/Western Nebraska CC) each recorded 13 kills in the win. Zwart hit .303 for the match.
In addition to Luce and Zwart, senior middle blocker
Finja Schul (Bergisch Gladbach, Germany/Western Nebraska CC) added eight kills and seven blocks and sophomore outside hitter/right side hitter
Brianna Pino (Maricopa, Ariz./Maricopa) tallied a career-high seven kills and a career-high seven digs.
Senior middle blocker
Andi Nothdurft (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert) chipped in with six kills and a career-high 11 blocks. CSU Pueblo finished the match with 19 total team blocks compared to nine for East Central. Those 19 blocks were just a half-a-block shy of the single-match school record of 19.5 set against Angelo State in 2008.
The reigning Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Setter of the Year, senior
Elena Stankovic (Cajetina, Serbia/Barton County CC) opened the season on a strong note as she contributed six kills, while hitting .333 and recording a double-double of 39 assists and 10 digs. For the match, the Pack finished with 54 kills and hit .194, while holding East Central to a .083 hitting percentage as the Tigers committed 39 attack errors. East Central finished with 53 kills in the match.
East Central was led offensively by Allie Rushing with 10 kills, while Lana Wright added 10 kills and Peyton Spahn finished with nine kills for the Tigers (0-2).
Set 1: In the opening set, the teams went back-and-forth early before East Central began to create some separation. The Pack trailed 9-8 following a kill by Luce before the Tigers used a 4-2 run to take a 13-10 advantage. CSU Pueblo remained within striking distance and pulled within 14-13 following a Zwart kill, but East Central responded by scoring six of the next nine points to push its lead to 20-16. The Tigers eventually extended their advantage to 22-16 before the Pack made a late charge behind kills from Nothdurft, Zwart and Luce to pull within 22-19. East Central, though, scored three of the final four points to claim the opening set, 25-20. In the set, ECU hit .361 with 17 kills, while the Pack hit .273 with 14 kills.
Set 2: The second set belonged to the Pack as CSU Pueblo jumped out to a 4-0 lead thanks in part to back-to-back assisted blocks by Zwart and Nothdurft. East Central pulled within 4-2, but the Pack responded by scoring seven of the next nine points to take an 11-4 lead following a block from Zwart and Schul. The Tigers answered with a 6-1 run to cut CSU Pueblo's advantage to 12-10 before the Pack completely took control. Nothdurft started the decisive run with a solo block before Stankovic went to the service line with the Pack leading 17-12 and helped CSU Pueblo score the final eight points of the set. The closing run featured an ace from Stankovic, a Nothdurft kill and four blocks involving Nothdurft and Zwart as the Pack rolled to a 25-12 win to even the match at one set apiece. The Pack hit .261 with 8 kills, while ECU had seven kills, but 14 attack errors that led to a -.184 attack percentage.
Set 3: With the match tied at a set apiece, ECU responded in the third set as the Tigers used an early 5-0 run to take a 7-3 lead. CSU Pueblo battled back and eventually tied the set at 12 following consecutive East Central attack errors. The teams remained close until the Pack used a 5-0 run, capped by a Pino kill, to turn a 16-15 deficit into a 20-16 advantage. East Central answered with three consecutive points to pull within 20-19 and eventually tied the set at 21. After the teams traded points to make it 23-all, the Tigers received a kill from Annabelle Nichter and a kill from Spahn to take the final two points and earn a 25-23 victory and a 2-1 lead in the match. Neither team hit over .100 in the set as they combined for 24 kills and 20 attack errors.
Set 4: Facing a must-win fourth set, the Pack came out quickly and scored three of the first four points before eventually building a 5-2 advantage. CSU Pueblo continued to control the set and used consecutive East Central errors to take a 7-3 lead. The Pack pushed its advantage to 11-6 following back-to-back kills from Zwart before Luce and Nothdurft helped CSU Pueblo extend its lead to 15-8. East Central made a run to pull within 15-12, but Schul stopped the momentum with a kill. From there, the Pack closed the set by scoring 10 of the final 13 points. Luce gave CSU Pueblo set point with a kill before Nothdurft finished off the 25-15 victory with another kill to force a decisive fifth set. The Pack hit .600 with 14 kills in the set, while ECU hit .160 with nine kills.
Set 5: In the fifth set, East Central jumped out to a 3-1 lead before the Pack responded with three straight points, including an ace from senior libero
Kacee Garcia (Pueblo, Colo./Western Colorado) to take a 4-3 advantage. The teams continued to trade points before CSU Pueblo used a Schul solo block to take a 6-5 lead. ECU answered with three straight points to move in front 8-6, but kills from Zwart and Schul helped the Pack tie the set at 8. The Tigers regained the lead at 10-8 before CSU Pueblo once again responded as an East Central attack error and a solo block from Stankovic tied the set at 10. East Central took a 12-11 lead before Luce recorded a kill and Stankovic followed with a service ace to give the Pack a 13-12 advantage. After East Central tied the set at 13, an attack error by Luce gave the Tigers match point at 14-13, but the Pack refused to go away as Luce capped the win with a kill to post a 15-13 win to complete the five-set victory.
The Pack will continue play in the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational as they close out the first day of the event with a 7 p.m. MT Friday night match against Minnesota State-Moorhead.
