SAN ANGELO, Texas – Colorado State University Pueblo volleyball had two players recognized for their performances during the opening weekend of the 2026 season, as seniors Lilly Zwart and Chinaru Pao were named to the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational All-Tournament Team following the conclusion of the two-day tournament at the Junell Center.
The All-Tournament Team was voted on by the participating coaches and featured 13 players from the six teams competing in the season-opening event.
CSU Pueblo finished the weekend with a 1-3 record, opening the season with a five-set victory over East Central University before falling in five sets to Minnesota State University Moorhead. The Pack closed the tournament Saturday with setbacks against UT Permian Basin and tournament host Angelo State University.
Zwart put together an impressive opening weekend offensively for the ThunderWolves, leading the Pack with 47 kills over 16 sets while hitting .286. The senior averaged 2.94 kills per set and also made an impact at the net with 15 total blocks, including two solo blocks and 13 block assists. She finished the weekend with a team-best 55.5 points, averaging 3.47 points per set.
The highlight of Zwart's weekend came Friday night against MSU Moorhead, when she recorded a career-high 20 kills on 45 attacks while committing just three errors for a .378 hitting percentage. She added three total blocks and finished with 22 points in the five-set match.
Zwart opened the tournament with 13 kills while hitting .303 in the Pack's five-set victory over East Central. She was also a force defensively at the net, finishing with nine block assists and 17.5 points. She capped the weekend with another double-digit kill performance against Angelo State, recording 10 kills while hitting .292.
Pao earned her spot on the All-Tournament Team after anchoring the ThunderWolves defensively throughout the weekend. The senior appeared in all 16 sets and totaled a team-high 63 digs, averaging 3.94 digs per set. She also recorded 11 assists and finished the tournament with a .949 reception percentage on 59 reception attempts.
Pao began the season with 20 digs and four assists in CSU Pueblo's victory over East Central before turning in her best defensive performance of the weekend against MSU Moorhead with 24 digs, six assists and a service ace. She followed that performance with 13 digs against UT Permian Basin before adding six digs in the weekend finale against Angelo State.
Through the opening four matches of the season, Zwart leads CSU Pueblo with 47 kills and 55.5 points, while Pao leads the ThunderWolves with 63 digs. Zwart's 15 total blocks also rank among the Pack's leaders at the net.
Angelo State's Alli Kirkpatrick was selected as the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational Most Valuable Player.
Kathleen Brasfield Invitational All-Tournament Team
MVP – Alli Kirkpatrick, Angelo State
Sydney Thornton – Angelo State
Julia Hopkins – Angelo State
Madi Parrish – Angelo State
Nickilah Whatley – UT Permian Basin
Kaitlyn Salgado – UT Permian Basin
Giselle Orellana – UT Permian Basin
Ava Wild – MSU Moorhead
Raiah Mandell – MSU Moorhead
Chinaru Pao – CSU Pueblo
Lilly Zwart – CSU Pueblo
Allie Rushing – East Central University
Caroline Munson – Fort Lewis
The ThunderWolves leave San Angelo with a 1-3 overall record to begin the 2026 season, and host West Texas A&M on Sept. 2 in their 2026 Home Opener at Massari Arena.
