SAN ANGELO, Texas – Colorado State University Pueblo volleyball closed out play at the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational here Saturday night by falling in three sets to tournament host Angelo State University (20-25, 11-25, 21-25) inside the Junell Center/Stephens Arena.
The loss dropped the ThunderWolves to 1-3 on the young season, while Angelo State remained unbeaten and improved to 4-0.
Senior right side hitter Lilly Zwart (Nelson, New Zealand/Western Nebraska CC) led the Pack offensively with 10 kills and hit a team-best .292 on 24 attacks. In addition to Zwart, senior middle blocker Finja Schul (Bergisch Gladbach, Germany/Western Nebraska CC) added five kills and three blocks, while junior outside hitter Emma Luce (Meeker, Colo./Colorado Mesa) and sophomore outside hitter/right side hitter Brianna Pino (Maricopa, Ariz./Maricopa) each finished with three kills.
CSU Pueblo finished the match with 26 kills and hit .106 on 85 total attacks. The Pack also recorded 36 digs and five team blocks. Angelo State countered with 41 kills and hit .248 for the match, while adding eight service aces, 35 digs and four team blocks.
Senior setter Elena Stankovic (Cajetina, Serbia/Barton County CC) led the Pack with 12 assists and added five digs, while Madison Gardner finished with eight assists, three digs and CSU Pueblo's lone service ace. Pino paced the Pack defensively with seven digs, while senior libero Chinaru Pao (Tenri, Japan/Western Colorado) added six digs and senior defensive specialist Kacee Garcia (Pueblo, Colo./Western Colorado) finished with five digs.
Angelo State was led offensively by Madi Parrish with nine kills, while Vivian Parker added eight kills and hit .278. Alli Kirkpatrick, Sydney Thornton and Julia Hopkins each recorded six kills, with Thornton hitting .357. Olivia Pena led the Rambelles with 13 assists, while Gabi Ashcraft finished with 12 assists, nine digs and two service aces.
Set 1: The Pack came out strong in the opening set as CSU Pueblo scored the first two points and eventually took a 4-3 advantage following a solo block from Luce. Angelo State tied the set at 4 before the two teams continued to trade points. With the score tied at 6, CSU Pueblo used a 4-0 run behind a Schul solo block, an Angelo State attack error, a Schul kill and another Rambelle attack error to build a 10-6 advantage. Angelo State responded and eventually pulled within 13-12 before a service ace tied the set at 13. The Pack answered with consecutive Angelo State attack errors to move back in front 15-13. The teams remained close before the Rambelles broke a 16-16 tie by scoring three straight points to take a 19-16 advantage. CSU Pueblo continued to battle and pulled within 23-20 following a Luce kill, but Angelo State scored the final two points to claim a 25-20 victory. The Pack finished the opening set with seven kills and hit .154, while Angelo State recorded 16 kills and hit .182.
Set 2: Angelo State took control early in the second set as the Rambelles scored the first five points before Zwart stopped the run with a kill. The Pack remained within 8-3 following a kill from senior middle blocker Andi Nothdurft (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert), but Angelo State continued to extend its advantage and eventually built a 15-5 lead. CSU Pueblo responded with its best run of the set as Zwart recorded a kill before Gardner went to the service line and helped the Pack score four consecutive points. Gardner recorded a service ace during the run, while Schul added a solo block to help CSU Pueblo pull within 15-10. After the Pack cut the deficit to 16-11 on an assisted block from Zwart and Schul, Angelo State took control by scoring the final nine points of the set. Hopkins recorded three kills during the closing run, while Parrish added a service ace as the Rambelles earned a 25-11 victory and took a 2-0 lead in the match. CSU Pueblo finished the set with five kills and hit -.154, while Angelo State had 11 kills and hit .304.
Set 3: Needing a victory to extend the match, the Pack battled Angelo State throughout the third set. The Rambelles jumped out to an early 5-2 advantage before CSU Pueblo began to chip away. Kills from freshman opposite-side hitter Natalie Mobley (Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe Catholic), Schul and Zwart helped the Pack pull within 9-8 before an assisted block from Stankovic and Nothdurft tied the set at 9. The teams continued to trade points as the set was tied at 10, 11 and 12 before Schul recorded a kill and an Angelo State attack error tied the score once again at 14. The Rambelles responded by scoring three consecutive points to move in front 17-14, but the Pack answered with a Mobley kill and an Angelo State attack error to eventually tie the set at 17. Angelo State then scored six of the next seven points to build a 23-18 advantage. CSU Pueblo refused to go away as Zwart and Pino recorded back-to-back kills before an Angelo State attack error pulled the Pack within 23-21. The Rambelles, though, closed out the match on a CSU Pueblo service error and an attack error to earn the 25-21 set victory and complete the three-set win. CSU Pueblo had 14 kills and hit .273 in the final set, while Angelo State recorded 14 kills and hit .294.
The Pack will return to action on Wednesday, Sept. 2, as they host Lone Star Conference foe West Texas A&M in their 2026 home opener. The match will be a rematch of last season's NCAA Tournament opening-round match, when the Buffaloes ended the ThunderWolves' season.
